In August 2011, the violent death of Gordon Maxwell in a burned car shook the peaceful town of Gladewater, Texas, USA. Investigators had to consider conflicting testimonies and a plethora of evidence before they could determine the identity of the actual killer.
Mysterious Disappearance
Gordon “Shag” Lynn Maxwell was born on November 24, 1964, in Gladewater, Texas, USA. After graduating from high school, he moved to Coushatta, Louisiana, to work before returning home in November 2010.
On March 20, 2011, Gordon married Sharon Anne Maxwell, 44 years old. But just five months later, on August 30, 2011, the police received a distress call from Sharon reporting the disappearance of her 46-year-old husband.
Additionally, she stated that she saw his truck parked in the backyard engulfed in flames. Sharon also heard what sounded like gunshots coming from it.
Gordon’s brother, Christopher Maxwell, a volunteer firefighter, was the first to arrive at the scene. Christopher noticed smoke rising from the back of the house.
Christopher hurried over and knocked on the back door. Sharon and her son, James Potter, stepped out. According to Christopher, his sister-in-law at the time was “wrapping a towel around her head as if she had just finished bathing,” while James wore pajama pants, no shirt, or shoes, as if he had just woken up.
Charred Body
While firefighters tried to extinguish the fire, they found a charred body lying on the floor in front of the truck and several bullet casings around.
A police search later revealed in the backseat area of the truck contained “unburned paper products, some magazines, and books.” According to the forensic laboratory report, samples taken from the truck floor and clothes found on the body tested positive for gasoline.
Authorities also found some red plastic pieces labeled as gasoline. This confirmed the use of an accelerant in the fire.
The charred body was unidentifiable. Authorities had to rely on dental records and could ultimately confirm it was Gordon’s body.
The autopsy report showed the victim had been shot four times in the head with a .22 caliber revolver that had not been found. Gordon’s violent death shook the once peaceful town.
Investigators then wanted to search the victim’s house. While all family members agreed, Sharon refused. Eventually, the police had to obtain a search warrant. They also brought Sharon in for questioning and delved into the couple’s private life.
What was found in Sharon’s house afterward raised suspicions for the authorities.
The 10th Marriage
According to reports, investigators noticed something on the wall that seemed to be blood. It also appeared on the bed and the ceiling in the master bedroom. Additionally, the blanket was missing, the bedsheet was removed, and pillowcases were stripped off, and thrown into a black garbage bag.
The discovery of cleaning agents on the kitchen counter led investigators to conclude that this area had been tidied up, and cleaned.
At the police station, Sharon initially denied any involvement in her husband’s death. This woman even painted a picture of a “romantic” marriage, with no abuse whatsoever.
In the past, Sharon had been married and divorced nine times. Gordon was her 10th husband. The two had dated in high school.
Gordon’s friends and coworkers at the steel mill said he had boasted to them about his wife’s “proficiency with handguns.” They had also advised him to end this marriage and warned him that marrying Sharon “might shorten his life.”
Contradictory Stories
According to Sharon’s testimony, just before the fire broke out, Gordon said he was going to fix a fuse box in his truck. While Sharon was bathing, she saw the truck engulfed in flames. The woman rushed to wake up her 19-year-old son, James, who was in a state of convalescence, recovering from kidney surgery. Finally, she called 911.
However, the delay in answering simple questions along with scratches on Sharon’s legs raised suspicions of investigators.
But then, Sharon’s story quickly changed after learning about the investigators’ findings during the house search. At this point, the woman claimed again that her husband was abusive and controlling. “He put a gun in my mouth and said he would blow my brains out,” Sharon said.
According to Sharon, during the struggle, the gun accidentally went off, causing Gordon’s death. She then wrapped her husband’s body in a blanket, dragged it into the truck, and used gasoline to set it on fire. The whole incident took place while James was asleep in his room.
During the investigation, the police learned that Sharon had engaged in sexual relations with an ex-lover a few days before her husband’s death. Additionally, they also discovered that this woman had a motive to kill her husband.
Secret love affair
However, during the investigation, the police discovered that this woman had a motive to carry out the killing of her husband. Gordon began working at the steel company and purchased a life insurance policy for $175,000 (over 4.2 billion VND) just one day after their wedding. Additionally, there was another insurance policy for the couple’s house with a provision that the loan would be paid off in full in the event that either spouse passed away.
After her husband’s death, despite filing a claim with the insurance company, Sharon couldn’t receive the payout because it required a minimum of 90 days.
The investigation also revealed that Sharon deceived her husband by having an affair with one of her former lovers named Joseph Adam Stroman. According to Joseph’s testimony, the two began their sexual relationship two weeks prior, with the latest encounter being a day before Gordon’s death.
Joseph also added that a week before Gordon’s death, he was warned by his lover about the risk of her husband discovering their affair. Sharon mentioned that Gordon had checked his phone and warned her to be careful.
Unexpected Allegations
One of Gordon’s coworkers testified that Gordon appeared distressed and even considered filing for divorce, although he didn’t want his marriage to end.
Faced with new evidence and the prospect of living in prison, Sharon once again changed her testimony. The woman unexpectedly accused her 19-year-old son, James, of killing Gordon.
Sharon claimed she was only trying to cover for her son. She helped dispose of the body because she didn’t want to damage the reputation of her late husband, who was respected in the community.
However, the police knew that James had a chronic kidney condition. A few days before his stepfather was killed, James had undergone surgery to have a dialysis catheter inserted and was in the process of recovering, convalescing at home. Checking James’s medical records, investigators ruled him out as a suspect in his stepfather’s murder.
At this point, all suspicions continued to focus on Sharon.
The Unexpected Breakup
However, after reviewing James’s medical records, investigators ruled him out as a murder suspect. Many witnesses, including relatives and friends of the couple, also dismissed Sharon’s claim that Gordon was a violent man.
Instead, investigators grew increasingly suspicious of Sharon, a woman who had divorced nine times before. One of Sharon’s ex-husbands mentioned that she abruptly called him during a business trip to announce the end of their marriage.
In response to his mother’s accusation that he shot his stepfather in the bedroom, James completely denied it. He claimed to have been asleep during the incident. At that time, James had just undergone surgery to have a dialysis catheter inserted and was unable to move easily. James asserted that he was terrified when he saw the truck burning in the backyard. He had no idea where his stepfather was at the time.
The jury also didn’t believe Sharon’s story. Despite Gordon’s charred body being found in the burnt pickup truck outside the house, the autopsy results indicated that the victim died of “fatal violence,” including multiple gunshot wounds. Gordon was shot once in the forehead and three times in the left side of his head.
The prosecutor accused Gordon of intending to leave his wife after discovering he had been deceived. Shortly after the couple married a few months ago, Sharon had financial security assured. So, when her husband announced he would divorce her, she immediately planned to kill him to claim the $175,000 life insurance policy.
Evidence at the scene showed that Gordon was shot in the couple’s bedroom before the body was wrapped in a blanket and dragged into the truck. Ultimately, Sharon poured gasoline and set it on fire.
In August 2012, the jury took only one hour to conclude that Sharon had committed the heinous murder of her husband. This woman was likened to an actress, skilled in lying and manipulation.
Sharon was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a $10,000 fine. She showed no emotion when the verdict was announced.
In February 2014, the appeals court rejected Sharon’s appeal and upheld the original verdict. She would not be eligible for parole until August 29, 2041.
