In the quiet town of Azle, Texas, a horrific tragedy shattered the peace on July 16, 2026, when 59-year-old Traci Richelle Gordon was found dead. Traci, a talented and generous hairstylist with a career spanning forty years, was known for her deep Christian faith and her compassionate spirit, often donating her skills to those in need. A graduate of Arlington High School, she found joy in horseback riding and, above all, cherished her family. Her life, however, came to a violent end in a double homicide that also claimed the life of her 83-year-old mother, Teresa Howe. The two women were discovered inside a residence on Stewart Bend Court after police were dispatched for a welfare check. Both mother and daughter had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the brutal slayings quickly focused on one man: Joseph Morris Gordon, Traci's 64-year-old husband. Law enforcement, including the Azle Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division and the Texas Rangers, utilized evidence gathered at the scene along with data from Flock automated license plate reading cameras to identify him as the primary suspect. This technology played a crucial role in tracking a vehicle of interest and ultimately led authorities to Joseph Gordon. The Texas Rangers apprehended him on the same day the bodies were discovered, and he was subsequently booked into the Parker County Jail. He faces two counts of capital murder for the deaths of his wife and mother-in-law.
Concerns about Joseph Gordon's behavior had reportedly existed within the family prior to the killings. Traci's sister, Kristi, had allegedly urged her to create a safety plan and prevent him from being at her mother's home due to his volatile nature. The investigation into the motive for the double homicide remains ongoing, and authorities have not released further details as they continue to process the case. As the legal proceedings in Parker County get underway, a community and a grieving family are left to mourn the profound loss of Traci and her mother, Teresa, whose lives were tragically cut short. A memorial service to honor both women was scheduled to be held at the First Methodist Church of Azle. The case stands as a somber reminder of domestic violence, with the arrest of the victim's husband on capital murder charges marking the central development in the pursuit of justice.
