Andre Gordon Jr.: Bucks County DA to seek death penalty in Falls Township murders
FALLS TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Andre Gordon Jr. has been extradited back to Pennsylvania where he will face charges in the murders of his stepmother, teen sister, and the mother of his two children. The Bucks County District Attorney revealed on Wednesday that she would be pursuing the death penalty in the case.
Wednesday morning, Gordon appeared for a virtual extradition hearing in Mercer County, New Jersey, where he was arrested hours after he allegedly shot and killed the three victims inside two separate Falls Township homes back on March 16.
Gordon, 26, had been facing carjacking and weapons charges in New Jersey in connection to the deadly rampage that began when he carjacked a driver in Trenton earlier that morning.
Investigators say Gordon drove that vehicle into Pennsylvania and killed is stepmother, 52-year-old Karen Gordon, and his sister, 13-year-old Kera Gordon, at a home on Viewpoint Lane.
Mom of woman killed in Falls Township details daughter's heroic move during tragedy
Nancy Daniel, mom of 26-year-old Taylor Daniel who was killed in Falls Township over the weekend, describes her daughter's heroic move to protect her children during a deadly rampage that officials have charged Andre Gordon Jr. with.
He then got back into that vehicle and drove to Edgewood Lane where authorities say he shot and killed Taylor Daniel, 25, with whom he has two children. Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn says Gordon’s daughters, ages 3 and 5, were present during the murders. He’s also accused of assaulting Daniel’s mother with his rifle inside the home before he once again fled in the stolen vehicle.
Investigators say Gordon carjacked another person in a Dollar Tree parking lot and fled to Trenton where police believed he barricaded himself inside a home with hostages. The residents were safely removed from the home by members of the SWAT team, and Gordon managed to elude police.
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He was eventually arrested blocks away from the Trenton home where police believed he was hiding out. An affidavit said Gordon had cut his hair during his time on the run in an effort to try to avoid police.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office had previously charged Gordon with first and second-degree murder, burglary, aggravated assault, and related offenses.
During a Wednesday afternoon hearing in Bucks County, the DA's Office informed Gordon that they would be pursuing the death penalty, and he was denied bail. He was also ordered to have no contact with eight people involved in the case - mostly members of his own family.
"The facts are horrific," said the Bucks County District Attorney. "My heart goes out to the family members. It’s just unimaginable…we were all anxiously awaiting him in Bucks County’s custody, and we wanted to make sure to argue that bail not be set, given the extent of his crimes."
Among those grieving is Daniel’s older sister, Kyle Stedman, who says the death penalty is currently the only consolation following her sister’s brutal murder.
"She was my best friend. She was so good. She was such a devoted person. She was always working, always there for those kids. She loved nothing more than them two girls," said Stedman.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 16.