$500,000 reward to help solve 2005 bathtub death of Singleton toddler Jordan Thompson

newy.com.au – Police who are investigating the suspicious death of toddler Jordan William Thompson in Singleton 20 years ago have welcomed a $500,000 NSW Government reward announced on Thursday 4 December 2025.

The new reward is aimed at finally uncovering who was responsible for the 21-month-old’s death in March 2005, after a long-running homicide investigation, an earlier $100,000 reward failed to produce a conviction but left his family and the Hunter community still seeking answers.

NSW Police said Jordan’s mother went to run errands on the afternoon of Thursday 19 March 2005, leaving him in the care of her then partner at a home in Singleton. When she returned, Jordan was found unresponsive in his bedroom. She rushed him across the road to Singleton Base Hospital, but he could not be revived.

Police were initially told the little boy had been found face down in the bathtub. However, a post-mortem examination later found a lethal dose of a prescription medication used to treat depression in his system, and detectives have continued to treat the death as suspicious.

Despite a $100,000 reward announcement in 2015, no person has ever been convicted over Jordan’s death. The case is being jointly investigated by officers from Hunter Valley Police District and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, who hope the significantly increased reward will encourage someone with crucial information to come forward.

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said the case had weighed heavily on the family and the region for two decades. “This is a heartbreaking case. Jordan was just 21 months old when his life was tragically cut short and his family has lived with unanswered questions for two decades,” she said.

Ms Catley said investigators had remained committed to finding out what happened that day. “The NSW Police Force has never given up on finding the truth about what happened to Jordan, and this $500,000 reward is about encouraging anyone with information to do the right thing and come forward,” she said. “Jordan’s loved ones deserve answers, and the community deserves to see justice served. If you know something, no matter how small it may seem, now is the time to speak up.”

Lead investigator Detective Inspector Paul Quigg said he believed there were people in the community who were yet to tell police what they know. “I have led this investigation for more than twenty years and believe that there are members of community who have information about the death of Jordan,” he said.

“Today we are appealing to anyone with information on Jordan’s death to come forward and assist investigators,” Detective Inspector Quigg said. “If you have any information that may help us, please do the right thing, and come forward. His family deserves answers and need to obtain closure in this matter.”

Jordan’s mother Bernice has joined police in making a fresh appeal, thanking the government for approving the new reward. “I would firstly like to thank the NSW Government in granting this reward to assist the police who are investigating the death of my son, Jordan Thompson,” she said.

“I firmly believe there are members of the community who possess vital information in relation to the death of my son and these persons have kept this secret for over twenty years for whatever reason,” she said. “Jordan’s father, Paul Thompson, passed away last year and never got a chance to see justice. I am hoping this reward will reach the conscience of a person in the community who has not previously come forward so I can obtain justice and some form of closure.”

The reward of up to $500,000 is available for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Jordan’s death.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the online portal at nsw.crimestoppers.com.au, noting that information is treated confidentially and that members of the public should not report information via NSW Police social media pages.