Friday, March 29, 2024
Friday, March 29, 2024
Friday, March 29, 2024

Jury urges death penalty for sex offender who killed 4 women

»

Published

»

Sign up with Your Content for the latest updates. Have a story or news tip? Contact our 24/7 newsroom at 833.336.8013 or email us.

  • Steven Dean Gordon, 47, faced a Southern California court on Wednesday
  • Gordon is charged with raping and killing four women in 2013-14
  • Prosecutor told jury he was a predator like the shark in the movie ‘Jaws’
  • Gordon and Franc Cano, 30, allegedly committed the crimes together

An Orange County jury on Wednesday decided a serial killer should be executed for the abduction and murder of four women.

Representing himself at his trial in Santa Ana, Steven Dean Gordon did not deny his responsibility for the deaths of the women, who had been working as prostitutes in Anaheim and Santa Ana in late 2013 and early 2014.

Authorities said the 47-year-old Gordon and 30-year-old sex offender Franc Cano abducted and killed four women. Prosecutors charged both men with rape but later dropped the rape charges against Gordon.

Investigators said they pieced together the case after the body of missing 21-year-old Jarrae Nykkole Estepp was found at a recycling center in Anaheim. Authorities said the men’s tracking devices linked them to the disappearance of the women.

Police believe Cano and Gordon knew each other since at least 2010, when Cano cut off his GPS device and fled to Alabama, where he was arrested with Gordon. Two years later, they again cut off their monitoring devices and boarded a Greyhound bus to Las Vegas using fake names before being arrested two weeks later by federal agents.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Larry Yellin made his case on evidence from DNA, GPS-tracked movements of both defendants and their own statements to police.

Your Content is a publication centered around breaking news, trends, and true crime investigations. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

Ohio High School Principal Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Investigation

Robert Griffiths, the principal of an Ohio high school, has resigned following allegations of...

Serial Bank Robber Arrested in Metro Atlanta Following Multi-Agency Investigation

Dallas, Georgia, police, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, have successfully apprehended a...

Search for Armed Robbery Suspect in Maumelle Dollar General

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office is requesting public help in identifying a suspect involved...

Birmingham Police Arrest Man as Investigation into Father’s Disappearance Takes a Dark Turn

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Birmingham Police Department has reported a significant development in a...