EDWARDSVILLE — An Alton man - Vincent Gordon - was sentenced to mandatory life in prison for murdering Derrick "DJ" Vaughn, 28 and Elijah Ingram, 30 both of Alton.
Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons made the announcement on Friday afternoon.
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On October 23, 2018, Vincent Gordon, (d.o.b. 2/21/1983), was found guilty by a jury of two counts of First Degree Murder, Class M felonies. The jury also convicted the defendant of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon and Escape. All of which are felony charges relating to the double murder.
At 10:30 p.m. on May 21, 2018, officers with the Alton Police Department responded to a report of shots fired in the 3100 block of Lawn Street. Upon arrival, first responders located two gunshot victims, Ingram and Vaughn, who were pronounced dead at the scene. It was determined the shooter had fled the scene prior to police arrival. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated, and nearly 20 officers assisted with the investigation into the shooting. Following a thorough investigation, charges were filed on May 29, 2018 against Gordon.
Gibbons offered condolences to the families stating, “The violent, senseless actions of this defendant resulted in the heartbreaking deaths of two young men. These men leave behind their young children who will now grow up without their fathers. My hope is that with today’s sentence, the victims’ families can find a sense of closure in this horrific chapter of their lives. I would like to commend the father and fiance? of Elijah, the soul mate and mother of DJ’s children and DJ’s cousins for speaking on behalf of their loved ones whose voices can no longer be heard. Their heartfelt testimonies were a courageous demonstration for the love they shared with the young men.”
“I would also like to recognize the work of the Major Case Squad, the Alton Police Department, and prosecutors from the Violent Crimes Unit, First Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe and Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Heischmidt. Following a long criminal history of violence and mayhem, the defendant will now spend the remainder of his life behind bars thanks to the justice served by this sentence imposed by Chief Criminal Judge Tognarelli,” Gibbons stated.
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