22-Year-Old Jan. 6 Defendant Dies Less Than a Month After Being Arrested
Less than a month ago, he was arrested and charged with four misdemeanors in relation to the Jan. 6 Capitol incursion.
Monday, Nejourde Thomas “Jord” Meacham passed away.
Ryan J. Reilly, author of “Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System,” noted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that Meacham’s passing had been confirmed by a court filing that cited a police report of his death.
“His passing has also been confirmed by Pretrial Services and defense counsel.” pic.twitter.com/msyP7hasge
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) September 1, 2023
Prosecutors, for obvious reasons, sought to have the case abated, a common-law doctrine that essentially dismisses the case as if the defendant have never been indicted to begin with.
Reilly said in a separate post on X that Meacham had been charged only with misdemeanors and might well have pleaded down to probation, although of course there is no way now to know how Meacham’s case would have ended.
Nejourde Meacham was arrested less than a month ago, and faced the four basic misdemeanors that often result in plea deals and probationary sentences. pic.twitter.com/gEz2yDfiki
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) September 1, 2023
Meacham’s cause of death was not readily apparent.
“Jord worked on the family’s ranch, and enjoyed riding horses, hunting, fishing, and doing anything outdoors,” his obituary read. “He was a big history buff and was a good cook — soup being his specialty.
“Listening to music was a big part of his life and young kids were drawn to him. He spent the summers working at Leader Creek Fisheries in Naknek, Alaska and cherished the time he spent there and the many friendships that he made.”
The obituary also noted that Meacham’s funeral would be held Saturday in Roosevelt, Utah, and that his body would be buried in a family cemetery in his home town of Pleasant Valley.
Well-wishers can send flowers through the mortuary’s website, here.
Also this week, Proud Boys member Dominc Pezzola received a 10-year sentence for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol incursion, The Associated Press reported.
“There is no place in my future for groups or politics whatsoever,” the 46-year-old said.
As he left the courtroom later, however, he raised his fist into the air and exclaimed, “Trump won!”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
