PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Nov. 21, 2023. 8:59 pm By Cris Alarcon, Investigative Reporter
In a surprising turn of events, the sentencing of Jordan Piper, who pleaded guilty to the death of his 11-year-old son, Roman Lopez, faced an unexpected delay on Tuesday. Technical challenges in connecting Piper to the courtroom’s Zoom call resulted in the postponement of the scheduled sentencing, leaving loved ones of the young victim visibly upset and the court scrambling to resolve the communication issues.
Piper’s guilty plea, coming nearly three years after Roman Lopez’s lifeless body was discovered in a storage bin in the family’s Placerville home’s basement, had heightened emotions in the courtroom. However, the planned victim impact statements, meant to provide closure and convey the impact of Piper’s actions on their lives, were put on hold due to the connectivity problems.
El Dorado County Court Deputy District Attorney Jay Linden explained that efforts to contact the facility where Piper is held and the U.S. Marshals proved futile during the 45-minute ordeal. While the court could have proceeded with the victim impact statements without Piper being present, the emphasis was on ensuring he heard directly from those affected.
“The point of it being that he hears what his actions did, how his actions impacted these various victims’ lives,” Linden stressed, acknowledging the emotional toll on the individuals prepared to speak.
Piper’s defense attorney, Tasha Chalfant, revealed that her client is currently incarcerated by the Bureau of Prisons in Oklahoma for a separate case involving the sexual exploitation of an underage girl in Tuolumne County. Piper, sentenced to 15 years in prison for the offense, was expected to face the consequences of his actions in the case of his son’s death.
Chalfant expressed disappointment on behalf of Piper’s family, who had traveled from Michigan for the hearing, seeking closure. The attorney cited Piper’s recent transfer from a local federal facility to a transfer station in Oklahoma City as a possible factor in the logistical hiccup.
“We’re going to make sure this delay doesn’t happen again,” reassured Deputy District Attorney Jay Linden, emphasizing the need for contingency plans to prevent a recurrence of the communication challenges.
The rescheduled sentencing is now set for January 4, 2024, as the court works to address the logistical issues and ensure a fair and just resolution to this deeply troubling case.
