Mystery as body of 12-year-old is found four years after he went missing - as ... trends now

The search for a missing 12-year-old came to a gruesome close last Monday, when police discovered his badly decomposed body in an attic, just months after his own mother's death.

Jaylen Griffin was last seen on August 4, 2020 as he headed to a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, but never returned home. He was reported missing two days later.

A desperate search ensued, with community members and police putting up flyers and combing the city for any signs of the missing boy. 

The search concluded on April 12, when Buffalo Police found Jaylen's body in the attic of a home just after 10 a.m. They publicly announced the discovery three days later.

The development came too late for Jaylen's grieving mother, Joann Ponzo, who was laid to rest in September without knowing what had happened to her son.

Ponzo, 48, died at Sisters of Charity Hospital after her health rapidly deteriorated. Friends and loved ones suspect her illness was only aggravated by the loss of her children.

Three months after Jaylen's disappearance, Ponzo's elder son, 18-year-old Jawaan, was gunned down just steps away from the family home.

Kareema Morris, founder of Bury the Violence, worked closely with Ponzo before her death.

She told Buffalo News that the heartbroken mother was reluctant to speak to reporters about her son's case, as she lacked the confidence.

But she was a familiar face at all of Jaylen's vigils, where she could be seen releasing paper lanterns into the sky.

A month before her death, Joann was seen crying and praying for her son to be found during one of the ceremonies.

Ponzo continued to cling to her son's memory. Months after Jaylen's disappearance, she posted a birthday message to Facebook.

'Wherever you are I pray that you are safe and able to enjoy your day,' she wrote.