Murder Trial of Northampton County Man Results In Plea Deals

Durrell Fitchett

By Wesley Edwards
A trial for the murder of a Northampton County man was conducted Tuesday in Northampton Circuit court and each of the four defendants reached plea deals with the Commonweath. 

The victim and the defendants attended a party in Machipongo last April. The four defendants from Tasley were charged for their participation in the murder of Mr. Jesse (Bob) Gordon.

The first defendant Durrell Fitchett was originally charged with first-degree murder, malicious wounding, displaying a firearm in a threatening manner, murder by a mob, and participating in gang violence. The scheduled bench trial did not occur when Fitchett entered a plea agreement to second-degree murder and the firearm charge.

John Logan

 Commonwealths attorney Bruce Jones laid out the case as a party with in a garage with a live DJ, alcohol, and drugs. The victim was shot after some type of confrontation from a distance of 6 to 24 inches.

After the shooting, Fitchett and the other three defendants began beating and kicking Gordon. Gordon was declared dead on arrival at Riverside Memorial Hospital from the gunshot wound.

The second defendant Deleon Fitchett then entered his plea agreement. Fitchett's charges were reduced from malicious wounding by a mob, murder by a mob, and gang violence to one count of malicious wounding with the other charges being dropped.

The third defendant Devon Blake a half-brother of the first two defendants was charged with malicious wounding by a mob and with his plea agreement the charges were reduced to unlawful wounding.

The fourth defendant John Logan a cousin of the first three was charged with malicious wounding by a mob murder, by a mob and participating in gang violence. All of these charges were reduced to one charge of unlawful wounding under a plea agreement.

The four defendants were returned to jail and will remain in custody pending the completion presentence reports.

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