On December 21, 2016, a jury recommended the death penalty for a California man convicted the week before for abducting, sexually assaulting, and killing four women over a six-month period. CBS News reported that Steven Dean Gordon will be sentenced in February 2017, and that the crimes subject him to special circumstances sentencing under California law. A judge will make the final determination on whether will face capital punishment for his crimes, based upon the jury’s recommendation.
A Confession from the Defendant: Gordon was arrested after an investigation revealed his connection to crimes committed over 2012 and 2013. All of the killings and sex crimes involved women who were tied to prostitution. Multiple offenses include:
- The murder and rape of a woman whose body was found at a recycling facility. She was identified based upon a tattoo on the back of her neck.
- Three women who disappeared in California, whose bodies were never recovered.
Interestingly, Gordon wore an electronic monitoring device the relevant time period of the killings, though he removed it when he fled for Alabama. He’d been required to wear the device due to his status as a registered sex offender: Gordon was convicted in 1992 for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 years. The device came in handy for officials investigating the disappearances of the three unidentified women, as they were able to access a database of sex offenders. Authorities discovered that Gordon had been in the location of all four women when they disappeared.
An Accomplice Identified: In addition to the data recovered by searching Gordon’s electronic device, the investigation revealed that another man had participated in the crimes. Franc Cano was listed as an accomplice, as the two men would drive around targeting women at random before kidnapping and killing them.
Additional Evidence Uncovered: After uncovering the GPS data, authorities focused their investigation on Gordon and Cano. Cellphone records showed that the two were in constant communication by text, exchanging messages that indicated cooperation. Plus, DNA samples from the body that was recovered matched the genetic material of both men. They were charged in the deaths of all four women, and warrants issued for their arrests. Cano is being tried separately and has pled not guilty. However, Gordon confessed to the crimes and represented himself during criminal court proceedings.
Special Circumstances Apply: Jurors found that “special circumstances” exist in the case against Gordon, because the matter involves kidnapping and multiple murders. In California, where special circumstances a present, a criminal defendant may be eligible for the death penalty.
San Diego Criminal Defense
Special circumstances can elevate a sentence from years or life in prison to capital punishment if certain facts are present, so it’s critical to have a prison consultant to represent you in court. California law and criminal procedure are complicated matters, and even a slight mistake can mean the death penalty. If you’re facing charges for any violent crimes, you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer in San Diego to fight for your rights. Call now for more information or questions about your case.
Ozols Law Firm
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San Diego, CA
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