On August 15, 2024 a devastating series of events unfolded in Schenectady, New York, leaving a family shattered. Authorities report that 35-year-old Jordan R. Miklowitz fatally attacked his parents, David J. Miklowitz, 75, and Kathryn Miklowitz, 73, before ending his own life by jumping from the Patroon Island Bridge in Albany.
Law enforcement was alerted to the situation after witnesses saw Jordan standing on the bridge above I-787 around 4 p.m., threatening to jump. Despite police intervention, Jordan leaped from the bridge, landing on the highway below. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident brought traffic on the busy interstate to a standstill for several hours as investigators secured the area and gathered evidence.
Following Jordan’s death, officers performed a welfare check at the Miklowitz family home on Morris Avenue in Schenectady, where they made a grim discovery: David and Kathryn had been brutally killed, both suffering fatal blunt-force trauma. Autopsies confirmed the deaths as homicides. The exact timeline of events remains under investigation.
Earlier in the day, at approximately 2 p.m., a neighbor reported hearing a loud argument coming from the Miklowitz home and called 911. When officers arrived, the street was silent. However, a doorbell camera across the street had captured part of the altercation. Reviewed by the Times Union, the brief footage recorded muffled shouting, with one man repeatedly yelling expletives. The poor quality of the video made it impossible to identify those involved. The homeowner who recorded the video, Hollie Miller, told police the argument continued beyond what was captured, with one man accusing the other of causing significant financial harm. Miller provided the footage to assist in the investigation.
David and Kathryn Miklowitz were well-liked by neighbors, who described them as quiet but kind. The couple had lived on Morris Avenue for many years before moving a few houses down the street last summer. Neighbors recalled that Kathryn had fallen in love with a particular house nearby, prompting the move, though the family was reluctant to leave behind Kathryn’s large, well-tended garden. The new owners of the previous home expressed regret that they struggled to maintain the garden to the same high standards.
Schenectady County District Attorney Robert M. Carney confirmed on Friday the theory that Jordan Miklowitz was responsible for killing his parents before taking his own life. Investigators were led to this conclusion based on statements Jordan made before his death and evidence discovered at the home. Carney noted that no evidence had surfaced to suggest that anyone else was involved in the killings.