In a disturbing case of obsession and murder-for-hire, a Jefferson Parish jury delivered a verdict on Thursday, convicting Monica Every and Louis Gordon for the premeditated killing of Every’s ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. Evidence presented during the trial revealed a complex web of harassment and plotting that culminated in the tragic death of Charlene Jones on January 27, 2022, in Metairie. Every was found guilty of being a principal to second-degree murder, among other charges, while Gordon was convicted of second-degree murder. The convictions followed Every’s failed attempts to remove Jones from the picture, ultimately leading her to resort to deadly tactics.
As reported by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office in a press release, Every and Gordon's conspiracy reached its fatal climax when Gordon shot Jones three times from behind as she was sitting in her car. The hit cost Every $10,000. Jones, 48, was attacked outside her apartment in a gated complex. According to court documents, the motivation behind the crime stretched back to Christmas Day 2021, when Every's boyfriend ended their seven-year relationship to be with Jones. The breakup was apparently the spark that ignited Every's campaign of harassment and eventual murder plot.
The prosecutors painted a picture of an individual driven by fixation and willing to cross every line to eliminate her romantic rival. "If Monica Every can't have him, no one can. That's what this case is about. It's as simple as that," Assistant District Attorney Lindsay Truhe stated in opening remarks, as noted by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office. Gordon's involvement included bizarre acts such as sprinkling "voodoo dust" on Jones' vehicle and planting a pistol in her car, a move strategized by Every to intimidate and frame Jones in a separate crime.
Every's relentless pursuit of Jones' downfall included harassing phone calls and a concocted tip to Crimestoppers, hoping to link Jones to an unrelated homicide by placing a pistol in her car. Her schemes were uncovered when detectives quickly ascertained that Jones had no connection to the suggested crime, as detailed by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office. Continuing her vendetta, Every, armed with past court records of her felon ex-boyfriend, anonymously faxed them to the management of the apartment complex, aiming to ban him from the property, a tactic that also unraveled under scrutiny.
The case, which unraveled the dark underbelly of a love triangle turned deadly, sends Every and Gordon to await sentencing, with serious penalties looming for their actions. Every's conviction for solicitation for second-degree murder adds to the weight of the jury's decision, while Gordon's additional convictions for conspiracy, possession of a firearm by a felon, and obstruction of justice pile on to his legal repercussions. The trial, built on a foundation of evidence from angry text messages to a trail of calculated criminal acts, concludes a chilling narrative of murder-for-hire in the heart of Metairie.
