Justin Gordon

On the afternoon of December 5, 2013, police in St. Louis, Missouri, were called to a residence in the 4400 block of Elmbank Avenue in the northern part of the city. Officers responding to the report of a shooting arrived to find a chaotic and tragic scene inside the home. Inside, they discovered 22-year-old Justin Gordon lying on the floor, unresponsive. He had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities.

In the entryway of the same home, officers found a second victim, 21-year-old Devin Gordon, who had also sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Unlike Justin, Devin was still alive when first responders arrived, though he was in critical and unstable condition. He was immediately transported to a local hospital for emergency treatment. Despite medical efforts, Devin succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead later that evening, marking a double homicide that launched an immediate investigation by St. Louis homicide detectives.

Weeks after the violent incident, investigators made a breakthrough in the case. On January 16, 2014, authorities announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with the deaths of both men. Ryan Handson, a 20-year-old male, was taken into custody and charged by the Circuit Attorney’s Office. The charges levied against him included two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of first-degree burglary, alleging that he had unlawfully entered the home before carrying out the fatal shootings.