A Jefferson Parish judge on Thursday (May 29) sentenced Monica Every and Louis Gordon to life in prison for their convictions of killing Every’s ex-boyfriend’s new lover.
A jury on April 17 found Every, 52, of LaPlace, guilty as charged of being a principle to second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and solicitation for second-degree murder for her role in the death of Charlene Jones, 48.
That same jury found the hired gunman, Gordon, 37, of New Orleans, guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and obstruction of justice.
Click here to read about the trial.
Jones was romantically involved with Every’s ex-boyfriend, who ended their relationship on Christmas 2021. Following the break-up, Every, driven by jealousy, undertook a campaign of harassment to end the new relationship, including anonymously calling Crimestoppers to falsely claim that Jones was in possession of a pistol used in a New Orleans East homicide.
Finally, Every paid Gordon $10,000 to kill Jones, an act he carried out on the morning of Jan. 27, 2022. He shot her three times outside her Metairie apartment, as she prepared to drive to her job.
“You got my mother murdered because you couldn’t handle being unwanted,” one of Jones’ daughters told Every in victim-impact testimony during Thursday’s sentencing hearing. “You were obsessed with (her ex). Obsessed with a man who really didn’t want you. When you saw him move on, when you saw him choose Charlene Jones, a real woman, a woman with strength, love and light, you lost your mind.”
Said another one of Jones’ daughters: “You may have thought your actions would silence my mother forever, but they didn’t. Her strength flows through every tear I cry, every breath I take and every word I speak right now. Now she’s gone, and the pain is unbearable.”
Life in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence is the mandatory punishment for second-degree murder in Louisiana. It was a sentence that both Every and Gordon received from Judge R. Christopher Cox III of the 24th Judicial District Court, who presided over the 9-day trial.
Judge Cox additionally sentenced Every to 30 years for conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and 20 years for solicitation for second-degree murder, the maximum for both crimes. Judge Cox ran the sentences concurrently.
As for Gordon, Judge Cox sentenced him to 30 years for conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, 20 years for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and 40 years for obstruction of justice – again, the maximum for each crime. Judge Cox ran the obstruction count consecutively with the life sentence.
Assistant District Attorneys Matthew Whitworth, Lindsay Truhe and Sarah Helmstetter prosecuted the case.