Grandson held in slaying of Hazelwood woman

A Hazelwood grandmother known to wave from her porch and feed hungry neighbors was fatally stabbed by her grandson after the two argued about his drug use, Pittsburgh police said Wednesday.

Edith Jordan, 70, was slashed in the neck after chastising the lifestyle of her grandson, Jalyle Murray, 30, according to police Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki.

"He apparently made his grandmother dinner and as they sat down to eat, she tried to talk to him about his drug use, and he became very angry and attacked her in the kitchen," Stangrecki said.

A criminal complaint states that Murray told detectives that after he killed his grandmother, he stole $53 from her pocket and left to buy more crack cocaine.

Investigators believe the incident occurred Tuesday evening in the home that Jordan and Murray shared in the 100 block of Hazelwood Avenue. Murray called 911 shortly before 9:30 a.m. yesterday to say he found his grandmother unresponsive on the couch, Stangrecki said.

Police and paramedics found Jordan dead in the living room, investigators said. Police believe a bloody knife found in an empty lot next to the house was used to kill Jordan.

Murray, whose clothing was covered with blood when police arrived, told detectives he was irritable when he arrived home, high on crack cocaine, at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, the complaint states.

He said he "snapped" while she was nagging him, grabbed a kitchen knife, wrapped his arm around her head and stabbed her five or six times in the neck, the complaint states.

"I didn't believe it at first," said neighbor Jada Sealey, who has known Jordan -- known as "Miss Edie" -- for years. "It was like somebody killing my own grandmother. Miss Edie was always sitting on her porch, and if you needed a few dollars she'd give it to you. If you were hungry, she'd feed you. She took care of everyone. She was always sitting on that porch, waving to everyone who went by."

Jordan loved having relatives over for large holiday gatherings, said her sister, Angeline Sims.

"She was planning our Thanksgiving dinner this year," said Sims, who declined to give her age. "She was such a nice person. She talked to a lot of people, and everyone in the community knew her. This is horrible."

Neighbor Renee Felton said Jordan was "a legend" in the community.

"I'm real sad about this and real mad," Felton said. "Miss Edie never bothered anybody. This is totally ludicrous. Whoever did this, they need to pay."

Murray, who pleaded guilty in August 2007 to two drug offenses and was sentenced to up to six months in the Allegheny County Jail followed by 18 months' probation, hung his head as he was led from city police headquarters in handcuffs.

"No words are gonna bring her back," he told reporters outside.