Life in prison for man who killed estranged wife

A man has been sentenced to natural life in prison for fatally shooting his estranged wife in front of her mother and two children.

Kane County Judge Clint Hull pronounced the sentence on July 12 for Timothy Gordon, 48, of the 1300 block of Oak Ridge Lane in Montgomery.

Hull sentenced him to 50 years for the first-degree murder of Yahaira Gordon. He enhanced it to natural life because Gordon used a gun, and because of his prior convictions for armed violence, robbery, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated driving under the influence and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, according to a news release from the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said they believe it is the first time a Kane County defendant has been sentenced to natural life based on the gun sentencing enhancement.

Gordon, who was on parole when he killed his wife on Oct. 31, 2022, pleaded guilty in December.

Yahaira Gordon had filed for divorce on Sept. 23, 2022. She let her husband live in the basement of their house while she lived on the second floor with her mother, aunt and four children.

The morning of the murder, Gordon learned Yahaira Gordon may have been trying to get an order of protection against him, which would have expelled him from the house.

Yahaira Gordon, fearing a confrontation, was video recording on her cellphone at the time, according to the release.

He pushed his way into her bedroom, walked to where she was sitting and shot her in the left temple. The mother, aunt, a 2-year-old and a 7-year-old were in the room at the time, according to the news release.