On Thursday, April 22, James Jordan pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder on the Appalachian Trail. The trail, which spans from Maine to Georgia, runs through Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Madison counties. James Jordan of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts is accused of the fatal stabbing of Iraq War Veteran Ronald Sanchez Jr., age 43, of Oklahoma City, and wounding a female hiker. In May of 2019 in Wythe County, VA, Jordan attacked Sanchez’s campsite unprovoked. He did not know Sanchez or others with him.
The trial was held in Abingdon federal court. Doctors at the University of Virginia Medical School examined Jordan and concluded he suffers from a severe mental disease or defect. Jordan will be committed indefinitely to a psychiatric facility within the Bureau of Prisons. Jordan waived his right to trial by jury and an additional evaluation.
Jordan was also found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted murder of the woman hiker. Jordan offered a brief, prepared apology in court. His attorney added that his client was “deeply remorseful for the profound sorrow he has caused. He regrets that his lifelong battle with mental illness ultimately resulted in this trauma and loss for innocent hikers and their families.”
The first known murder on the Appalachian Trail took place in 1974. To date, there have been 13 total murders recorded.
