MARLBOROUGH, Conn. — Since it all started in September of 2021, FOX61 has been closely covering the story of the brutal beating and abduction of a 64-year-old woman from the Marlborough Big Y parking lot.
On Friday, one of the suspects appeared in court and we got our first look at the arrest warrant that details what happened.
The 16-page warrant details how 20-year-old Kenneth Gordon allegedly fled to Florida following the crime but was eventually arrested about a month later outside a Dollar General.
In court on Friday, Gordon pled not guilty and he elected a jury trial.
The warrant, which was originally sealed for 14 days, reveals how one of the suspects told the victim they committed the crime, “Because you’re white…” but no hate crimes charges have been filed.
"The states attorney's office and the detectives that work these cases, not just this case, collaborate on the most appropriate charges that fit the facts and circumstances related to each individual case," explained Trooper Dawn Pagan of the Connecticut State Police.
Gordon’s sister Rosa showed up to support him in court but she wasn’t interested in talking to FOX61 only saying, "He’s innocent until proven guilty."
Gordon is charged alongside a 16-year-old juvenile, but a family friend of the victim Mark Merritt saif the case goes beyond what we know.
"There are more people involved. I do know that. I can’t say a lot about that," remarked Merritt. "An arrest does not necessarily mean the closure of an investigation," added Trooper Pagan.
The arrest warrant goes on to explain how police found searches on Gordon’s cell phone for “CT abduction sentencing guidelines” and that a DNA swab on a drink container was used to connect him to the crime.
The victim in the case was badly beaten, forced to withdraw her money from ATM machines and thrown from her vehicle which was later set on fire in Berlin.
"When I’ve talked to her, she’s a strong lady. We should all take a lesson from her," said Merritt.
Next up for Gordon is a pre-trial hearing in May which is scheduled to be virtual. Here in Marlborough, the community is continuing to be vigilant and support the family.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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