Last week, Jefferson County prosecutors dismissed charges against the Port Townsend man accused in January in the death of his infant son.

Jordan Sorenson, 37, was previously charged with second-degree kidnapping, unauthorized removal or concealment of a body, and unauthorized disposal of a body. Charges were dismissed without prejudice on Friday, Feb. 16, meaning charges may be filed again should more evidence come to light.

Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney James M. Kennedy reviewed the Medical Examiner’s Report, consulted with toxicologist Dr. Justin Brower, and conferred with prosecutors from five Washington counties before determining that there was insufficient evidence to support felony criminal charges in the death of the infant, whose body was discovered in Kah Tai Park on Jan. 20.

The child was born on Dec, 25, 2023, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, where his mother was undergoing in-patient drug treatment. The infant tested positive for fentanyl at birth, and was discharged into Sorenson’s custody on Jan. 7, while the mother remained at the hospital. Sorenson, previously homeless, passed a urinalysis test at that time and made arrangements for stable housing. Reports from medical workers indicate it is suspected Sorensen began using drugs again prior to the infant’s death.

Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) began attempts to locate Sorensen on Jan. 18. On Jan. 20 at approximately 10 a.m., an individual camping in Kah Tai Lagoon Park called 911 to inform dispatch that Sorensen had been sighted in a tent.

Contacted there by law enforcement, Sorensen eventually led officers to the infant. Sorensen became emotional and stated that the death was an accident. He told law enforcement that on Jan. 17, he was sitting in a recliner holding the infant and fell asleep for approximately two hours. When Sorensen awoke, he said, the infant was blue and unresponsive, and attempts to revive the child yielded no result.

Toxicology reports showed the presence of a trace amount of methamphetamine in the child’s blood, which Brower and Medical Examiner Dr. Lindsay Harle noted was likely due to environmental exposure. Neither could authoritatively state that the amount of drugs detected played a role in the infant’s death.

In a statement, Kennedy deemed the death “entirely preventable” by laws that would have stopped the infant from being placed in Sorensen’s custody.

A small memorial display of stuffed animals is now visible on signage outside the park where the child was discovered.