A super-fit mountain hiker whose body has been discovered six years after he vanished was found alongside a survival kit, a family friend has revealed.
Jordan Moray, 32, vanished from his home in army-style camouflage clothing carrying a rucksack containing packets of nuts, a tin of tuna and £100 in bank notes.
His skeletal remains were found in a cave by a walker in the Brecon Beacons, a few hundred yards from where search parties had looked for Jordan in 2019.
The discovery came as a devastating blow to his anguished family, who never gave up hope he would be found alive.
For six long years, they were left baffled by Jordan’s sudden disappearance amid a strange scene in his flat – the door left unlocked, his TV switched on, his PlayStation console running and his mobile phone on charge.
None had seen or heard from the keen gamer and former Welsh champion boxer from the village of Cwmbach in Aberdare, South Wales, since July 24, 2019.
With his remains now recovered, his parents Debbie and Adrian, brother Josh and family can hopefully take comfort in finally laying their beloved Jordan to rest.
A coroner has been updated, with police confirming his death is not being treated as suspicious.
Jordan Moray, 32, vanished from his home in army-style camouflage clothing and carrying a rucksack containing nuts, a tin of tuna and £100 in bank notes, a family friend has revealed
Jordan, from Aberdare, South Wales, disappeared without a trace on July 24, 2019. His skeletal remains were found in a cave last week by a walker in the Brecon Beacons
Retired SAS soldier Jason Birch, 53, who helped co-ordinate search efforts, said ‘some things just don’t sit right with me’ regarding the questions still lingering over the case
But several questions remain over exactly what happened to Jordan and why he was not found sooner.
Retired SAS soldier Jason Birch, 53, who helped co-ordinate search efforts and grew close to the family over the years said: ‘There are a number of things I’m unhappy with, including why it took six years for Jordan’s body to be found.
‘It looked like he had left his home in an immediate fashion and that is concerning. His games console was running and his mobile phone on charge.
‘If there is a suggestion he may have harmed himself, why would he take a survival kit?
‘Also he was very experienced, he knew the Brecon Beacons well – that’s how I got to know him.’
Just six weeks before his disappearance, Jordan had taken part in the Fandance, a gruelling 24km march up Pen y Fan, the highest peak in what is now known as Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
The green T-shirt given to competitors who complete the civilian version of the event was with his remains.
Mr Birch, whose company organised the Fandance and other military-style events, said: ‘When Jordan went missing, I felt compelled to help in the search.
Mr Birch organised public search parties, sectioning off parts of the Beacons for friends and family to look for the missing hiker
None had seen or heard from former Welsh champion boxer from Cwmbach in Aberdare, South Wales, since July 24, 2019
Jordan was seen on July 24, 2019, buying a small bottle of water and what appears to be a lottery game card at the Premier shop in Bro Deg, Cwmbach. The CCTV was confirmed by police as the last time Jordan was officially sighted
‘When I arrived in the village I found myself doing a lot of the work the police should have been doing.
‘I spoke to all the neighbours who said they didn’t hear any noise or disturbance so that ruled out any idea of him being abducted.
‘So to me, it looked as if he left of his own accord. He wanted to get away for a while.’
Mr Birch organised public search parties, sectioning off parts of the Beacons for friends and family to look for the missing hiker. He also set up an active Facebook group, with more than 6,000 members, to help share information.
The section he and his small team were scouring included Llwyn-onn reservoir where Jordan’s body was eventually found by a walker last week.
He said: ‘If Jordan was a member of my family I would want more answers about his disappearance and why it took so long before he was found.
‘Some things just don’t sit right with me.’
Jordan’s own family would also have also been very close to the spot where he was found, next to the busy A470 which connects South and North Wales.
South Wales Police revealed recent doorbell footage from Jordan’s brother Josh that they believe to be Jordan. They were not able to use face recognition technology due to what looked like camouflage paint on the man’s face
Det Chief Inspector Gareth Davies (left) told Vanished host Dan Walker (right) South Wales Police had investigated all leads from a letter (pictured) sent days after Jordan disappeared
The letter’s author claims to have heard someone shout: ‘If there’s anyone out there, help me!’ as they walked their dog between 2am and 3.30am
Jordan was wearing his distinctive hiking trainers (above) when he went missing
His mother Debbie revealed she and other family members carried on the search for years and if they went into the national park they would have passed the reservoir beauty spot.
In a heartfelt plea for information in 2022, Debbie said: ‘Jordan is independent and always keeps himself to himself. He’s pretty quiet really.
‘He loves the outdoor life – he would phone me and ask me to pick up a couple of disposable barbecues and a steak.
‘He’d meet me and he’d go up the mountain and eat it up there, for hours and hours.’
It is known Jordan left his flat in the village of Cwmbach, Aberdare, South Wales on July 26, 2019 and his family reported him missing on August 2.
A £6,000 reward for information was offered and specialist teams were called in to search mountains and waterways for clues while police pored over hours of footage.
Then there was a breakthrough – CCTV video emerged showing the 32-year-old.
He had grown a light beard, was buying a small bottle of water and what appears to be a lottery game card at the Premier shop in Bro Deg, Cwmbach, a short distance away from his home.
The timestamp on the video was 11.26am on July 24, 2019 and has been confirmed by police as the last time Jordan was officially sighted.
Between that date and August 2, when he was formally reported to police as missing, there was no contact between Jordan – described as a ‘loner’ – and his loved ones.
Out of concern, his mother Debbie went over to his flat on August 1 and knocked on the door, rang the bell and banged on the window, but had no reply, police said.
The following day she went back and tried the door, discovering it had been left unlocked.
Inside she found the TV on standby, his PlayStation on and his mobile phone on the table on charge.
According to a post written at the time by Mr Birch, the scene at the flat was ‘suspicious’.
He wrote on 11 August 2019: ‘Flat external door left closed but unlocked. Mobile phone on charge. Cash left. Food shopping untouched from last seen. Wallet present. Walking equipment present.
‘There are items that are missing but cannot be positively verified. For example, the following: Black backpack, headtorch, camping burner, black trainers.’
Just weeks ago, Debbie Moray said of her missing son: ‘Each day is agony, and I am clinging to the hope that one day he will walk through the door again’
On the surface it appeared Jordan had taken some equipment with him to go hiking, but certainly not enough to spend days, weeks or even months living in more remote areas.
And yet, would it have been possible for him to have done exactly that, explaining perhaps how his body turned up 10 miles away from his home?
Jordan was in good physical condition and described as being 5ft 8ins and of ‘athletic build’.
He enjoyed boxing and had a pair of boxing gloves tattooed on his right shoulder, alongside a tattoo of his name on his chest.
Jordan was known to have a love of the outdoors and those close to him said it was not unusual for him to complete a 20-mile hike in a day.
Birch’s post added he was ‘determined, adventurous but didn’t really like crowds and could be described as a bit of a loner’.
One could theorise that Jordan simply decided to go on a hike up to the Brecon Beacons, albeit without all the equipment needed – and likely would have walked all the way given he did not have a driving licence or own a car.
Thoughts of him leaving the country altogether were also ruled out from the first – because Jordan did not have a passport.
Jordan’s mum Debbie revealed she and other family members carried on the search for years
So did he simply go off for a hike, or was there still more to it?
Ten weeks after his disappearance, South Wales Police received a letter from someone who believed they heard Jordan shouting ‘help me’ on the night he disappeared.
The letter was read out by police on the Channel 5 series Vanished nearly four years after Jordan’s disappearance.
It said: ‘I saw a Land Rover parked up on curb near a comprehensive school.
‘Not thinking I walked past it.
‘It was dark and quiet up until I reached 100 yards. I heard rustling in wasteland behind rocks and boulders by the school.
‘Then I heard someone shout: “If there’s anyone out there, help me!”
‘First I thought boys messing about – always youngsters driving round early hours of the morning up to no good.
Police said prior to his body being found they had four ideas of what happened to Jordan: That he was taken from his property, that he left with the intention of harming himself, that he left and was injured, or that he left and was living off grid
‘But I heard someone shout out again: “Help me!”
‘I’ve been thinking of that night ever since.’
The sender claimed to have been walking their dog between 2am and 3.30am close to Jordan’s house after being unable to sleep.
The author asked not to be contacted, but South Wales Police pleaded for them, or anyone who knows them, to get in touch.
While that track went seemingly cold, police were soon met with another development in the case.
In September 2020 a man told police he was ‘confident’ he had seen Jordan 100 miles away in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.
The member of the public reported he was approached by a man who said he was sleeping rough and living off the grid, but was about to visit his brother.
Coincidence or not ‘a short while later’ after the Stratford-upon-Avon sighting, police revealed Jordan’s brother Josh – who lived not far from his sibling – shared doorbell footage showing what he believes was a visit from the missing man.
Locals remain mystified that Jordan was not found sooner because Llwyn-onn reservoir is a popular spot with walkers, cyclists and anglers
Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies from South Wales Police, appearing on the Channel 5 series Vanished, said officers were not able to use face recognition technology due to what looked like camouflage paint – but both the force and the family agreed there was a ‘similarity’ to Jordan.
There were alleged further sightings, but none of these were confirmed as being the missing man.
Debbie said at the time: ‘Me and my husband go up there [to Stratford] and we just walk around for hours and hours. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack but we keep doing it.
‘We put posters up there – wherever we go we put up posters. But it could be somebody who just looks like Jordan and I understand that.’
The Stratford line of inquiry may have been a red herring and it’s more likely Jordan went on foot from his home village to the beauty spot at the entrance to the national park.
It would have been possible for him to walk to the spot where he was found using mountain tracks and following streams.
But locals remain mystified because Llwyn-onn reservoir is a popular spot with walkers, cyclists and anglers.
Experienced local hillwalker Phillip Morgan, 71, of nearby Merthyr Tydfil, said: ‘It’s a peaceful area but there’s always people around, especially in the summer.
Jordan’s remains were found in a cave at Llwyn-onn reservoir last week by a walker
It would have been possible for Jordan to walk to the spot where he was found using mountain tracks and following streams
‘It’s hard to understand that if the body was found by a walker, then how come other walkers didn’t see it? Six years is a long time.’
A post mortem examination has been held and South Wales Police say Jordan’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
But in an earlier statement the force said: ‘His disappearance was completely out of character and it sparked immediate concern among family, friends and police.’
His family remain ‘heartbroken’, but say they at least have ‘closure’ even if questions remain.
In an emotional tribute posted yesterday, Jordan’s brother Josh described him as ‘my best friend’, adding ‘my heart is lost without you’.
On a post on Facebook he wrote: ‘As a few of you may know my brother Jordan went missing six years ago.
‘Just an update, a walker came across human remains in Brecon last week, postmortem was done and it came back to be my brother Jordan.
‘I’ve missed him ever since he went missing, he wasn’t just my brother, he was my best friend. We [did] everything together and I mean everything.
‘He’s been a big loss in my life and always will be. Now my mam and dad can lay him to rest.
Jordan’s brother Josh paid an emotional tribute to his ‘best friend’ after confirmation from police that his remains had been found
Jordan’s aunt, Tanya Jones, said he would be ‘truly missed’ in a social media tribute
‘Love you Jordan Moray, can’t wait to meet you again big bro, my heart is lost without you.’
Jordan’s aunt, Tanya Jones, said he would be ‘truly missed’.
She wrote on Facebook: ‘My brother Adrian and Debbie want to thank everybody for their kind messages for Jordan Moray.
‘They are overwhelmed by everybody and they would like to thank this lovely community for their time in searching for Jordan over the years and thinking about him.
‘He will be truly missed and now they can have closure.
‘They are truly grateful to everyone who joined in the search and for all the lovely and thoughtful messages.’
Jordan’s mother also posted her own tribute, stating: ‘Devastating news after six years and never giving up hope.’
The family are now looking to an inquest to answer the lingering questions – and to perhaps finally discover how a fit and healthy young man with a vast knowledge of the area died and lay undiscovered for more than six years.
