A missing gamer who was found dead in a cave six years after he disappeared may have suffered a ‘violent or unnatural death’, a coroner has said.
Jordan Moray, from South Wales, mysteriously vanished from his home wearing army-style camouflage clothing and carrying a rucksack containing packets of nuts, a tin of tuna and £100 in bank notes.
The former Welsh champion boxer left the door unlocked, his TV switched on, his PlayStation console running and his mobile phone on charge when he disappeared from the village of Cwmbach in Aberdare, South Wales, Aberdare in July 2019.
He was last seen buying a small bottle of water and what appears to be a lottery game card at a shop in Bro Deg, Cwmbach.
Despite extensive searches his skeletal remains were not found until three weeks ago, when a walker in a cave in the Brecon Beacons reported them.
The remains were just 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 were left baffled by his sudden disappearance.
The keen hiker may have suffered a ‘violent or unnatural’ death, coroner Andrew Morse told Pontypridd Coroner’s Court after a post-mortem.
Jordan Moray, from South Wales, mysteriously vanished from his home wearing army-style camouflage clothing and carrying a rucksack containing packets of nuts, a tin of tuna and £100 in bank notes
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
A cause remains uncertain, while Jordan was identified by dental records.
Coroners officer Sahil Iqbal said: ‘Jordan Moray has been a high-risk missing person from his home since August 2019. Extensive inquiries were undertaken by South Wales Police to find him.
‘A member of the public walking in a secluded woodland area near Merthyr Tydfil found what he believed to be skeletal remains.
‘Identification was confirmed by dental records.’
Coroner Andrew Morse said he suspected Jordan’s death was ‘violent or unnatural.’
He added: ‘I extend my condolences and sympathies to the members of Joran Moray’s family.’
Questions persist over exactly what happened to Jordan and why he was not found sooner.
Retired special forces 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.
Jordan, from Aberdare, South Wales, disappeared without a trace on July 24, 2019. His skeletal remains were found in a cave last month by a walker in the Brecon Beacons
South Wales Police released 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
‘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.
‘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.
Only 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’
‘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.
They did not give up hope he would return despite him missing for six years.
Weeks before his remains were found, his mother Debbie said: ‘Each day is agony, and I am clinging to the hope that one day he will walk through the door again. Each year is blurring into the next, but we continue to search the places that we believe Jordan might be.
‘Jordan is loved and missed every day. We are heartbroken. I will never give up looking for him and I pray that he is safe and well.
‘I want Jordan to know that no matter the reason he left we are here for him. He is so missed it’s like living a nightmare. It’s never too late for him to reach out. We just want to know that he is safe and support him regardless of the circumstances he may be facing.
‘He is deeply missed, and we so much want him back in our lives. I pray that this message reaches him.
‘I’m once again asking anyone who reads this to share Jordan’s photograph and report anything that might help the police in their search. Spreading the word could make the difference in bringing Jordan back to us.’
She added: ‘He’s best friends with his brother Josh, Josh is terrible – looking over the gate constantly to see if he’s coming, constantly. I ask myself all the time why, why Lord why.’
His disappearance was featured on the Channel 5 series Vanished, hosted by Dan Walker, who said: ‘We are trying to work out what happened and where he is now and what we can do to shine a light on that.
‘It was a strange set of circumstances when Jordan went missing because he had a games console still on and his mobile phone on charge.’
A police spokesman said: ‘On Friday, August 29, 2025, South Wales Police received a report of human remains being discovered in a remote area in the vicinity of Llwyn On Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons.
‘It has since been confirmed that these remains are those of Jordan Moray, who was reported missing in July, 2019, from his home in Cwmbach, Aberdare.’
