What to Know
Police in Oregon rushed to the scene of a home in the 6400 block of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr in Portland on May 3, 2026. Inside the home, they found 4-year-old Jhorden Clay unresponsive. Jhorden was staying with his father, 19-year-old Marquavious Ware, when the teenager brutally attacked his little boy. Emergency responders rushed the child, covered in bruises and injuries, to an area hospital. He died a short time later.
Jhorden’s mother, Jonicia Clay, claimed she tried to help her son and called police, warning them that Ware was abusing the toddler. According to her, authorities didn’t help her, and now her son is dead. Ware accepted a plea deal and will spend just 10 years in prison for his son’s death.
Ware allegedly refused to return Jhorden to his mother.
Shortly after her son’s death, Clay told Fox 12 she spoke to her son on FaceTime while he was visiting his father. During a FaceTime call, she realized something was wrong.
“I took a FaceTime photo of his face; I noticed marks instantly,” Clay told the news station. “I called the police. They told me call nonemergency because it’s his father. I was like, ‘he’s been in my care the last four years. My son, he’s really in danger, like there’s marks on his face.’”
Jhorden’s great-grandmother, Mamie Johnson, told Fox 12 police went to Ware’s home following Clay’s call and found no issues with Jhorden.
“But he was not fine, we all know Jhorden. He’s hyper, he doesn’t sit in one spot for very long,” Johnson said.
Ware’s family claimed Jhorden’s behavior enraged Ware.
According to court documents obtained by Law & Crime, a family member told police the day Jhorden died that Ware became angry because the little boy wet the bed. He also reportedly snuck Skittles into the bedroom, which upset Ware.
“[A family member] reported that he heard Marquavious Ware yelling and ran upstairs to see victim in the bathtub with defendant washing blood from victim’s mouth,” a probable cause affidavit said about the day Jhorden died. “In victim’s bedroom, [police] observed what appeared to her to be blood on the bed, on the pillow, on the floor, and in the doorway. In the bathroom, [police] observed what appeared to her to be blood and vomit on the floor, and blood in the toilet.”
Jhorden experienced a seizure a short time later, prompting a 911 call. Per court documents obtained by Law & Crime, Ware told police he engaged in mild physical discipline “including slapping him on the hand and making him stand in the corner with his foot raised and hitting him in the bottom of the foot with a hanger,” the affidavit noted. “Defendant also stated victim had been in his care for approximately a month.”
Clay filed suit against the state following Jhorden’s death.
Per the Oregonian, Ware took Jhorden on April 7, 2023, for what was supposed to be a two-day visit. He reportedly refused to return the child to his mother. Clay contacted the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline on April 19 to report injuries she saw via FaceTime.
Per court documents obtained by the outlet, when police went to check on the home, Ware or his son were there. The Oregon Department of Human Services was supposed to follow up but allegedly failed to do so. Clay filed a multi-million wrongful death suit against the state.
Ware will spend just 10 years in prison.
Though an autopsy found bruises, cigarette burns, and lacerations to Jhorden’s lungs, liver, and pancreas, in addition to recently broken ribs and internal bleeding, Ware was not convicted of murder. Per the Oregonian, in exchange for a guilty plea, a court reduced Ware’s charges to manslaughter and custodial interference. A judge sentenced him to 75 months in prison with credit for time served.
Per Fox 12, Ware had a history of violent behavior, and Clay wanted him locked up for the rest of his life. “If you can’t tell, he’s a menace to society, okay? Folks, I need justice for my son,” Clay said.
