Haunting final Instagram post of NOLA student before her body was dumped at hospital


‘First Mardi Gras parade didn’t disappoint’: Haunting final Instagram post of NOLA student five days before her body was dumped at hospital after she vanished with Uber driver

  • Ciaya Jordan Whitestone, 21, was dumped outside New Orleans East Hospital on Saturday at 6.54am
  • She had not been seen alive since 1am, when she left her apartment with an Uber driver who she’d come home with then gone back out with 
  • Uber won’t name the driver and no arrests have been made 
  • One of her friends claims they overheard the driver on the phone at 1.30am asking Ciaya if she liked to party 
  • Ciaya’s cause of death remains a mystery and her body has not yet been returned to her family in South Carolina
  • Six days earlier, she posted a series of photos after attending her first Mardi Gras parade 
  • She had just moved to Louisiana to attend college when she died  


The NOLA student whose lifeless body was found dumped at a hospital bay on Saturday morning five hours after she vanished with an Uber driver after a night of partying had been celebrating Mardi Gras all week and posted a haunting final Instagram post about attending her first parade. 

Ciaya Jordan Whetstone, 21, was dumped outside the New Orleans East Hospital on Saturday morning at 6.54am.   

It remains unknown who dropped her off, or what the cause of her death was. She was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Ciaya, a devoutly Christian student, had spent the previous night at a Mardi Gras parade, then visited her boyfriend’s apartment. 

At 1am, she returned to her own apartment via an Uber. 

Her roommate Reese White says she brought the Uber driver into the apartment with her, announcing that he was her ‘new friend’. She then left the home with the man and it was the last time she was seen alive.  

Ciaya Jordan posted a series of photos on Instagram last week after attending her first Mardi Gras parade. She died on Saturday after going to a second parade then a party, and vanishing later with her Uber driver

Ciaya Jordan posted a series of photos on Instagram last week after attending her first Mardi Gras parade. She died on Saturday after going to a second parade then a party, and vanishing later with her Uber driver

One of her friends claims that at 1.30am, he spoke with her on the phone and overheard the Uber driver asking her: ‘Do you like to party?’ 

Police are still investigating but they are yet to make any arrests. Uber will not identify the driver or say whether or not he has been interviewed by police or them. 

He has been stopped from accepting any other rides pending the outcome of the police investigation. 

Six days before she was found dead, Ciaya attended her first Mardi Gras parade with her boyfriend and their best friends.

She had only been living in New Orleans since August, after moving from her native South Carolina to attend college. 

On Instagram, she excitedly shared photos from the night out and wrote beneath them: ‘Well my first Mardi Gras parade did not disappoint.’ 

The 21-year-old business student returned home to her apartment at 1am to change her shirt then went back out with her Uber driver. Her roommate says she brought the man inside with her

The 21-year-old business student returned home to her apartment at 1am to change her shirt then went back out with her Uber driver. Her roommate says she brought the man inside with her

The 21-year-old business student returned home to her apartment at 1am to change her shirt then went back out with her Uber driver. Her roommate says she brought the man inside with her 

Ciaya is shown last weekend at a Mardi Gras parade with her boyfriend, left, and her best friends, right

Ciaya is shown last weekend at a Mardi Gras parade with her boyfriend, left, and her best friends, right 

Ciaya's roommate Reese White said she came home with the Uber driver at 1am then went back out with him

Ciaya’s roommate Reese White said she came home with the Uber driver at 1am then went back out with him 

Ciaya's body was left outside the New Orleans East Hospital at 6.54am on Saturday

Ciaya’s body was left outside the New Orleans East Hospital at 6.54am on Saturday 

Her stepfather Chris Ferrand told DailyMail.com on Wednesday that the family is now working to get her body home to South Carolina, and that he did not want to interfere with any investigation until then. 

‘At this point. I want to wait on an official police report and coroners report before I make any kind of statement regarding any events. 

A friend called Whetstone while she was in the ride-share car and said he overheard the Uber driver ask the UNO student: 'do you like to party?'

A friend called Whetstone while she was in the ride-share car and said he overheard the Uber driver ask the UNO student: ‘do you like to party?’ 

‘At that point I’ll answer any questions as long as it doesn’t interfere with any investigations that may follow. 

‘Right now my concern is getting Ciaya home so we can lay our angel to rest,’ he said.  

Uber will not comment on the driver’s identity or whether or not any other complaints had been made in the past about him.  

‘Our thoughts are with Ciaya Whetstone’s family as they grieve the loss of their daughter,’ the company said. 

‘We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation,’ a spokesman said. 

Ciaya’s roommate Reese previously told local network 4WWL that she tried to stop her from leaving their apartment with the driver. 

‘She came home around 1 something she said she was changing her shirt,’ she said, adding that the Uber driver came in the home with her. 

‘She said “this is my friend. I just met him.” I said, “you need to stop getting in the car with strangers” but she said he was her Uber driver.  I tried to convince her before she left to stay home,”‘ she added.    

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