Buffalo’s 'House of Horrors': Jaylen Griffin Becomes Fourth Body Found at Troubled Upstate New York Property

A South Buffalo property is the center of a disturbing investigation after the remains of 12-year-old Jaylen Griffin - missing since 2020 - were discovered in the attic of a home with a deeply troubling (and bloody) past.

Griffin, whose disappearance haunted the city for nearly four years, was found last in April, 2024 in a state of advanced decomposition inside the attic of 107 Sheffield Avenue.

Police confirmed on April 12th that his identity was verified using dental records, due to the condition of the remains.

The recovery of Griffin's body marked the fourth time in four years that a dead body was found at the same residence.

The home has been the site of at least four body recoveries since 2020:

-June 23, 2020: Police were called for a welfare check at 2:18 p.m. and found a deceased individual inside the home.

-September 11, 2022: A second body was discovered at 2:27 p.m., leading to an arrest.

-August 2023: A third body was found in the yard after a 5:27 a.m. 911 call.

-April 2025: Jaylen Griffin’s body was found in the attic by a maintenance worker.

Despite multiple deaths tied to the address, details about the first three victims remain unclear.

Authorities have not confirmed whether any of the previous cases were classified as suspicious or led to convictions.

911 logs show that 107 Sheffield Avenue has been the subject of more than 160 emergency calls since 2007 involving a range of incidents: domestic violence, fire reports, wellness checks, disturbances, and multiple death investigations.

Local residents, who asked to remain anonymous, say the house has been a constant source of problems for over a decade.

“That place has been chaos for years,” one neighbor said. “There were always new people moving in and police were there constantly.”

Although not officially designated a halfway house, officials confirmed that the property has routinely housed parolees and former inmates, including registered sex offenders.

Records show that a convicted sex offender lived at the residence until just weeks before Jaylen’s body was discovered.

The building’s owner, Sunrise West LLC, is a limited liability company tied to a Hamburg post office box.

In 2022, the company was named in a negligence lawsuit filed by a neighboring homeowner.

The suit also listed Spectrum Health and Human Services and a tenant, Deanna Withrow, alleging that careless behavior led to a fire causing $130,000 in damages.

Court documents allege that the fire was started when Withrow tossed flammable materials outside the home while smoking.

The suit further claimed that Spectrum failed to properly assess her suitability for tenancy.

Spectrum has denied having a formal housing agreement with Sunrise West LLC, though a spokesperson acknowledged that clients under their care, including parolees, may have stayed at the address.

Jaylen’s mother, Joann Ponzo, died in September 2023, never knowing what had happened to her son.

She had spent years searching, appearing in interviews and working closely with community advocates.

Her friends believe her health rapidly declined due to the emotional toll of losing both Jaylen and her older son, 18-year-old Jawaan, who was fatally shot just months after Jaylen went missing.

Before her death, Ponzo reportedly showed anti-violence advocate Kareema Morris a chilling drawing found in Jaylen’s room. It bore the words: “I’m gone already.”

Jaylen was last seen in August 2020, leaving his family’s home on Warren Avenue in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, about five miles from the Sheffield address. He told his mother he was heading to a nearby store but never returned.

On the morning of April 8th, a maintenance worker entered the attic of the multi-unit property and found a body.

Strangely, no foul odor was detected. The 911 call was placed at 10:19am and homicide detectives arrived shortly after, confirming a death on site.

Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia later stated that Jaylen’s body had been there “for a significant amount of time” but declined to offer specifics due to the condition of the remains.

He added, “We are working diligently to bring closure for the family.”

The discovery of Jaylen’s remains in a house already linked to multiple deaths has sparked public outcry and renewed scrutiny of the property and those responsible for managing it.

“This isn’t just neglect, it’s a breakdown of responsibility at every level,” said Morris, founder of Bury the Violence. She praised the community’s role in keeping Jaylen’s case alive and criticized systemic failures that allowed vulnerable people to disappear unnoticed in plain sight.

During an April 15th press conference, District Attorney Mike Keane expressed his sympathy and frustration: “This is a young boy. He’s 15 years old. This is a tragedy. And it’s a terrible way to bring this search to an end.”

Jaylen would have celebrated his 17th birthday on April 22nd.

Though the search for Jaylen is over, the investigation into how he ended up dead in an attic, and who put him there, remains active. Police continue to seek leads and community members hope justice will finally come for a boy who never came home.

Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the Buffalo Police Department’s Homicide Unit.

Buffalo’s 'House of Horrors': Jaylen Griffin Becomes Fourth Body Found at Troubled Upstate New York Property