Medical examiner rules Jorian Caldwell death in Cedar Hill an accidental drowning
Jorian Caldwell, a 22-year-old man who went missing and was found dead in a Cedar Hill pond in November, drowned accidentally, the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday.
His body was recovered from the pond in November, but the medical examiner officially confirmed his identity and released his cause of death on Wednesday.
Caldwell’s drowning was an accident, according to Facebook post by Cedar Hill police. There were no signs of internal or external injuries.
Caldwell went missing Nov. 13. Police found his phone, shoes and backpack near where he was last seen.
Law enforcement searched for Caldwell using a Dallas Police Department helicopter, drones and dogs, focusing on the area where he was last seen around the 17000 block of Mansfield Road in Cedar Hill, about a mile and a half from where his body was found eight days later.
His family previously said through close friend and spokeswoman Amy Burton that Caldwell will be remembered for his love, smile, involvement in church, ability to have meaningful conversations about deep topics and his expertise as a mechanic.
His mother, Tina Wallace, said through Burton that Caldwell wrestled in high school and never lost his love for the sport. He would regularly hang out with friends from the wrestling team and return to Bowie High School in Arlington and help coach the young athletes, giving pointers from his own experience. Caldwell was also a leader in St. James’ African Methodist Episcopal Church, working with the youth group and singing in the choir. He aspired to learn as many instruments as he could so he could use them in worship, Wallace said.
Caldwell was in a car with his ex-girlfriend on the morning of Nov. 13 before he went missing, according to Burton. The woman told police he was acting erratically before he started running, Burton said. Police obtained video from a doorbell camera from the area, she said, showing him running through a street.