TWO YEARS LATER: Inside the ‘House of Horrors’ Where Jaylen Griffin was Found—and the Questions that Still Haunt Buffalo

April 12th marks the grim anniversary of a discovery that ended one mystery but exposed a deeper, darker pattern tied to a notorious address.

     Two years after the body of 12-year-old Jaylen Griffin was found inside a South Buffalo home already stained by a disturbing history, investigators say the case remains far from solved—and the house where he was discovered continues to cast a long shadow over the city.

     Buffalo Police are once again urging the public to come forward with information as the April 12th anniversary approaches, marking the day in 2024 when Griffin’s remains were discovered in the attic of a multi-unit property on Sheffield Avenue nearly four years after he vanished.

     Griffin was last seen alive in August 2020, leaving his family’s home on Warren Avenue in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood. He told his mother he was heading to a nearby store. He never returned.

     For years, the case gripped Buffalo. Flyers lined streets. Volunteers searched block by block. Law enforcement pursued leads that ultimately went nowhere. The mystery of what happened to Jaylen lingered until a routine visit to a troubled property changed everything.

     On the morning of April 8, 2024, a maintenance worker entered the attic of the Sheffield Avenue residence and made a discovery that would shock the community. A body had been hidden inside the structure for what authorities later described as a “significant” amount of time. A 911 call was placed at 10:19am and homicide detectives quickly responded, confirming a death at the scene.

     Former Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia later said, “We are working diligently to bring closure for the family.”

     Days later, the remains were identified as Jaylen Griffin.

     The discovery answered one question – where he was – but immediately raised countless others.

     The address, 107 Sheffield Avenue, was already known to police and neighbors alike. Far from an isolated incident, Griffin’s remains marked the fourth time in four years that a body had been recovered from the same property.

     Records show a troubling pattern:

     On June 23rd, 2020, police responded to a welfare check at 2:18pm and found a deceased individual inside the home.

     On September 11th, 2022, another body was discovered at 2:27pm leading to an arrest.

     In August 2023, a third body was found in the yard following a 5:27am emergency call.

     Then came April 2024 when Jaylen Griffin’s remains were located in the attic.

     Despite these repeated incidents, many details surrounding the earlier deaths remain unclear and authorities have not publicly discussed them.

     What is clear, however, is the property’s long-standing reputation.

     911 logs reveal that the Sheffield Avenue address has generated more than 160 emergency calls since 2007. These calls have ranged from domestic violence and disturbances to fires, wellness checks, and death investigations.

     Neighbors say the chaos was constant.

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

     Though never officially designated as a halfway house, officials have confirmed the residence routinely housed parolees and individuals recently released from incarceration, including registered sex offenders. Records indicate that one convicted sex offender lived at the address until just weeks before Jaylen’s body was found.

     The property itself is owned by Sunrise West LLC, 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 following a fire that caused significant damage. The suit alleged that a tenant, Deanna Withrow, improperly discarded flammable materials while smoking, igniting the blaze. It also claimed that Spectrum Health and Human Services failed to properly evaluate her placement.

     Spectrum has denied having a formal housing agreement with the property owner, though a spokesperson acknowledged that clients, including parolees, may have stayed there.

     Against that backdrop, investigators now believe the location where Jaylen was found may hold critical clues.

     Detective Christopher Sterlace, one of two cold case investigators currently assigned to the case, has emphasized the importance of the address itself.

     "There's a reason that this house ended up being where he was found. There are people out there who know why he ended up here," said Sterlace. "We really need those people to come forward. We know there are people out there who know what happened."

     Sterlace, along with Detective Natasha Anderson, continues to reexamine the case with fresh urgency, revisiting evidence and interviewing potential witnesses.

     "Every homicide is a tragedy,” he continued, “especially unsolved homicides, and then when you add a homicide of a child who had a kind of a rough life like Jaylen did, it's something that we're really, we're really reaching out to the public asking for help.”

     For Anderson, the case carries a deeply personal weight.

"It means a lot to me," said Anderson. "Just being a mother and a grandmother. My heart breaks for anybody who loses a loved one, but a parent or a sibling, those are really tough. Think about Jaylen as being this 12-year-old kid who needs to hear your voice today. And we're the only you're the only person that could actually help him."

     Interim Commissioner Craig Macy has also reiterated that time does not diminish the urgency of the case.

     "Cold cases are still an open homicide. I'm confident we can solve this," said Macy.

     The investigation now stands at a painful intersection—years removed from the disappearance, but still searching for accountability. For Jaylen’s family, the timeline is even more devastating.

     His mother, Joann Ponzo, spent years searching for answers, refusing to let her son’s case go cold. She died in September 2023 months before his body was discovered, never learning what happened to him.

     Her grief had already been compounded by tragedy. Just months after Jaylen disappeared, her older son, 18-year-old Jawaan, was fatally shot. Friends say the weight of both losses took a severe toll on her health.

     Before her death, Ponzo reportedly shared a drawing found in Jaylen’s room with anti-violence advocate Kareema Morris. The drawing contained a haunting message: “I’m gone already.”

     Today, that message feels eerily prophetic.

     The discovery of Jaylen Griffin’s remains did not bring closure but rather shifted the narrative. What was once a missing child case is now a homicide investigation tied to one of the most troubled properties in Buffalo.

     And two years later, the central question remains unanswered: who is responsible?

     Authorities are continuing to ask anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers WNY by calling (716) 867-6161 or through the “Buffalo Tips” mobile app. Information can also be shared directly with Buffalo Police.

TWO YEARS LATER: Inside the ‘House of Horrors’ Where Jaylen Griffin was Found—and the Questions that Still Haunt Buffalo