by Jackie Nunnery
LANCASTER—After just over two hours of deliberation, a jury on Friday, November 19, found Matthew Scott Chapman guilty of second-degree murder in the March 18, 2020, shooting death of John Carter Gordon. Chapman, who was originally charged with first degree-murder, also was found guilty of a felony for using a firearm while committing a murder or malicious wounding, and a felony for shooting in the commission of a felony.
The week-long trial in Lancaster County Circuit Court, with Judge R. Michael McKenney presiding, began on Monday, November 15, with opening statements in which Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony Spencer alleged that Chapman started to “hunt” for Gordon after he found out that Gordon was seeing his now-ex wife, Kerrie, shortly after they separated in January 2020.
Spencer said Gordon made multiple visits to K. Chapman’s White Stone home on March 18 to retrieve belongings when finally confronted by M. Chapman, who was under a certified order not to be at the home and had ignored pleas by K. Chapman to “let her handle it.”
Within 35 seconds of his last arrival, marked at 5:12:01 p.m. by a home security camera, Gordon “was on the ground dying” from a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Spencer said.
Chapman’s defense team, James Breeden and Jeffrey Matthews, painted Gordon as the aggressor in the situation with Chapman acting in self-defense.
Gordon was someone who….There's more to this story...
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