Man sentenced for killing SIUE student in Craigslist meet-up

A St. Louis man convicted of killing a Southern Illinois University Edwardsville student during a Craigslist meet-up in 2015 was sentenced Tuesday to life without parole.

Michael Gordon, 27, was tried before a St. Louis County jury in October for the shooting death of 19-year-old Taylor Clark. The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, according to court records.

His lawyer, Matt Wayne Vigil, filed a motion on Nov. 13 seeking a new trial. As of Tuesday morning, however, no other hearings were scheduled other than his sentencing.

Because prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, Gordon faces an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in October.

Gordon was arrested on May 7, 2015, and charged with first-degree murder.

Investigators say Gordon sought out Clark through a Craigslist posting where the 19-year-old was trying to sell his 2007 Nissan 350 Z. After a final exam at SIUE one day in May 2015, Clark took the car to Missouri in order to show it to Gordon.

Instead of purchasing the car, prosecutors say Gordon shot the 19-year-old St. Jacob man in the face and dumped his body to cover up the crime.

Clark’s body and car were found at the Hazelwood, Missouri truck-driving school where Gordon worked, according to police.

Vigil argued during trial that there was no physical evidence linking Gordon to the crime.

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 7:29 AM with the headline "Man sentenced for killing SIUE student in Craigslist meet-up."