On the afternoon of August 6, 2018, authorities in Grandview, Missouri, responded to a distress call near the intersection of White Avenue and High Grove Road. Upon arrival, officers discovered 41-year-old male Dennis Maurice Gordon Jr. suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was found lying in the street, being held by a witness to the attack. Despite the arrival of emergency responders, Gordon succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The witness reported that he and Gordon had been walking toward a nearby gas station when a green sedan pulled up beside them. A struggle or confrontation ensued, during which an occupant of the vehicle opened fire, striking Gordon before the car sped away.
Detectives quickly pieced together a timeline that suggested the violence stemmed from a previous altercation. The witness informed investigators that weeks earlier, on July 29, Gordon had been involved in a fight with a man at a local 7-Eleven convenience store. Utilizing this lead, police reviewed police reports and dashcam footage from the prior incident, which helped identify the individuals involved. Further surveillance video from a business near the shooting scene captured a dark-colored sedan entering the area minutes before the murder. The footage showed a driver wearing distinct clothing and shoes, and the vehicle was seen following the path Gordon and the witness had taken.
The investigation led to the identification of two suspects: 24-year-old Gregory E. Smith and 29-year-old Steven Samson. Smith was identified as the driver of the green sedan, which was later located at his residence. Samson was identified as the passenger and the alleged shooter. A search of the home where Samson had been staying yielded a handgun, and ballistics testing determined that the bullet recovered from Gordon’s body had been fired from that specific weapon. Records indicated Samson had purchased the gun from a pawn shop the previous March. Prosecutors subsequently charged both Smith and Samson with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for their roles in the killing.
