St. Louis man charged in student’s death appears in court
May 7, 2015, 9:06 AM
This undated booking photo released by the St. Louis County Jail, shows Michael Gordon. Gordon is due in court Thursday, May 7, 2015, and is being held in jail in lieu of $1 million bond. The 24-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Taylor Clark, a sophomore engineering student at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, who went missing while trying to sell his sports car on Craigslist. (St. Louis County Jail via AP)
(St. Louis County Jail via AP)
CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — A St. Louis man made his first court appearance Thursday on charges he killed a 19-year-old Illinois college student whom he had contacted about buying a sports car advertised on Craigslist.
Michael Gordon, 24, remains held at the St. Louis County jail in lieu of $1 million bond. He didn’t enter a plea and a judge set another hearing for May 18. He is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Taylor Clark, a sophomore engineering student at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
Gordon does not have an attorney.
Police arrested Gordon after his name was found in emails Gordon traded with Clark about the car Clark was trying to sell. Investigators said the two did not know one another before they met.
Police say Gordon is an employee of a truck driver training center in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri, not far from where Clark’s 2007 Nissan 350ZX and body were found Tuesday.
Clark, who is from the southwestern Illinois town of St. Jacob, was reported missing by family members on Monday. Authorities say he was last seen by his girlfriend.
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