Judge Wolverton Sentences Jordan Joplin to 99 Years for Murdering Dr. Eric Garcia

April 9, 2024

(Ketchikan, AK) -- Today, Superior Court Judge Michael Wolverton sentenced 38-year-old Jordan Joplin to 99 years to serve for one count of Murder in the First Degree and one count of Theft in the First Degree for the March 2017 poisoning death of 58-year-old Eric Garcia.

On March 15, 2017, Joplin traveled from Washington State to Ketchikan to visit Dr. Eric Garcia, his friend and romantic partner of six years. Joplin returned to his home in Washington on March 17. The following day, Joplin called the Ketchikan Police Department and reported that he was expecting Dr. Garcia to come to Washington to visit him and was worried about Dr. Garcia because he had not arrived, and Joplin had not heard from him.

On March 27, 2017, Joplin returned to Ketchikan and asked police to conduct a welfare check on Dr. Garcia. Joplin let the police into Dr. Garcia's home using Dr. Garcia's keys. He was also driving Dr. Garcia's truck. Joplin told police he had last seen Dr. Garcia on March 16, 2017. When police entered Dr. Garcia's home, they found him deceased. An autopsy found that Dr. Garcia's death was caused by the combined toxic effects of morphine, methadone, diazepam and lorazepam. Detectives also discovered that many items were missing from Dr. Garcia's home, to include electronics, a valuable collection of coins, watches and jewelry valued over $50,000, and a collection of liquor valued at over $320,000. The detectives also learned that the alarm system in the home had been disabled.

During the investigation, detectives discovered that prior to his arrival in Ketchikan on March 15, Joplin arranged for three shipping containers to be delivered to Dr. Garcia's residence on March 17. Detectives discovered that when those containers arrived on the 17th, Joplin loaded them with more than 4,000 pounds of Dr. Garcia's belongings, including the missing valuables and many of Dr. Garcia's personal items, and shipped them to Joplin's residence in Washington.

Detectives later found Dr. Garcia's cell phone and wallet in Joplin's residence in Washington. They found multiple transfers totaling more than $30,000 that had been made from Dr. Garcia's bank accounts to Joplin's accounts between March 16 and March 30. On Joplin's cell phone, detectives found a video taken on March 17, 2017, of Dr. Garcia, who appeared to be unconscious and struggling to breathe. The investigation determined that after that video was taken, later the night of March 17, Joplin used Dr. Garcia's truck to drive to the airport to return to his Washington home.

In his sentencing remarks Judge Wolverton said that this offense stood out in his 40 years of experience due to the intentional and careful planning of the murder, calling Mr. Joplin's conduct brazen and craven.

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Erin McCarthy, at (907) 269-6250 or [email protected] or Bethel District Attorney Mark Clark, at (907) 543-2055 or [email protected].

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at [email protected] or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.

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