Steven Dean Gordon born February 3, is an American serial killer and sex offender who, together with accomplice Franc Cano, killed at least four sex workers in Santa Ana and Anaheim, California from to Convicted and sentenced to death for his crimes, Gordon admitted responsibility for at least one further murder, with which he has never been charged. Steven Dean Gordon was born on February 3, , in Lynwood, California , but his family moved to Norwalk shortly after his birth.
While at school, he was considered unpopular and occasionally bullied due to his short stature, which led him to develop an overtly aggressive demeanor and a Napoleon complex. After graduating from Santa Fe High School in , the year-old Gordon did not pursue further education and instead found work at Disneyland. During this period, Gordon met Lanai Lewis, a fellow employee with whom he would start a relationship.
He was well-regarded by the local community and renowned for his love for softball , so much so that he began competing as a core member for the local Walt Disney Parks and Resorts team in the early s. In , Gordon's sister accused him of sexually abusing her daughter, for which he would subsequently be charged with molestation of a minor. Gordon insisted on his innocence, claiming that he had only pleaded guilty because his girlfriend threatened to break up with him if he didn't, and that his sister had made the accusation up.
After being released from prison the following year, Gordon decided to refrain from committing any criminal acts and live a law-abiding lifestyle. On February 22, , he married Lewis, who gave birth to their daughter, Kayla, two years later. In order to provide for his family, Gordon worked two separate jobs: one as a mailman for the Orange County Register during the night shift, and another as a car washer at an auto repair shop in Anaheim during the day shift.
In the late s, the family moved to a new house in Riverside. According to her testimony, Gordon became easily irritable, got angry at the smallest inconvenience, threatened to commit suicide and even hire a hitman in order to get himself killed for a life insurance policy. In the aftermath of the trial, Gordon was prohibited from approaching both his ex-wife and daughter as a protective measure. A few months after the divorce proceedings, Gordon made several attempts to rekindle his relationship with Lewis, but was denied each time.
