Martin Louis Gordon had just finished a late evening class, still clinging to the hope that he could make things right for his two kids. Instead, in a cruel twist, he lost his life. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is now racing to piece together what happened the night of October 13 and find the person who turned his ordinary return home into tragedy.
At about 11:09 p.m., deputies were summoned to the parking lot near the Helms College campus at Village West Shopping Center on Washington Road in Augusta. They found 30-year-old Gordon, originally from Grovetown, unresponsive—he bore at least one stab wound. Within the next half hour, at 11:35 p.m., Deputy Coroner Kenneth Boose pronounced him dead at the scene. An autopsy has since been scheduled to establish details surrounding his death.
Investigators believe the stabbing likely took place outside the Helms College School of Trades building. At first glance, authorities thought it might have been a traffic-related fatality, but further examination led them to conclude that Gordon was attacked violently. The suspect is described as armed and dangerous, last seen fleeing on foot toward Washington Road, and is the subject of an active manhunt.
Campus officials, deeply shaken, confirmed Gordon was enrolled in Helms College’s HVAC program and called him a student with promise. A public statement from the institution expressed sorrow over the loss, affirmed cooperation with law enforcement, and noted that counseling, spiritual support, and enhanced security measures are now in place to protect students and staff.
From those who loved him, a picture emerges of a man trying to build a better life for his children. Gordon had moved from Maryland to Grovetown earlier this year to provide for his 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son. Even when faced with transportation issues the night of the killing, his determination to keep his perfect attendance record at school prevailed. Rather than miss class, he took a chance. When his brother arrived nearly an hour after classes ended, he found Gordon handled in silence.
“Somebody just walked up to him and started stabbing him,” said his sister-in-law, who insisted on privacy. She emphasized that Gordon was not anyone’s adversary — he didn’t cause problems, and he didn’t ask for this. The family has delayed breaking the news to his children, wanting to give them one more day of normalcy before explaining the unfathomable.
Law enforcement is appealing to the public: if you know anything, if you saw someone running from the scene, if the image of the suspect sparks recognition, call the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 821-1020 or (706) 821-1455. The clock is ticking, and the community waits — heartbroken, unsettled, eager for justice and closure.