In between 43rd Lane Southwest and 45th Street Southwest in Golden Gate City is Mystic Alley, a small dirt road with homes on either side. For the first time since her son’s murder, mom Kathleen McLaughlin stood in the alley alongside NBC2 News, where 18-year-old Jonathan "Jay" MacDonald was killed sometime around Oct. 30-31, 2021.
“I haven’t been back here ... It’s horrible, it’s awful. No mother should have to go through this. No mother," said McLaughlin.
MacDonald’s body was discovered with gunshot wounds, face down on the morning of Oct. 31, 2021. Investigators stated MacDonald had been at Mystic Alley previously to “sell an item.”
Three years and more than a thousand days later, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office has made no arrests and will not comment to NBC2 about the case, calling the investigation "active."
“The worst thing that can ever happen to a mother is getting the news that her child is dead,” McLaughlin said. “The second worst is knowing his murder goes unsolved. Jay didn’t deserve to die.”
Mystic Alley lies just feet away from residential homes, including the home of MacDonald’s biological father at the time.
The 911 caller who alerted Collier County deputies to the scene was redacted in the official incident report obtained by NBC2 News. Despite the redaction, it was noted by deputies that from where the caller stated he was calling from, "there would have been no way to see the body from the roadway, nor be able to tell if it was face down," according to the report.
“I think somebody heard something. Somebody knows something ... I want that person to come forward," said McLaughlin.
In honor of her son, who would have turned 22 just months ago, McLaughlin is offering a $22,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
“There’s just an open wound in our hearts ... Maybe we can have some clarity and peace, and be able to move forward in some way," said McLaughlin.
The family encourages anyone with information on the case or a potential suspect to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS. Tips can be submitted anonymously.