Terhan Gordon's Death Was A Homicide, Will County Sheriff's Office Reveals 6 Months After Bones Found

JOLIET, IL — Next week will mark six months since the Will County Sheriff's Office took over the Joliet missing person's case of 36-year-old Terhan Gordon, whose skeletal remains were discovered on March 24 in a field near Townline Road in Mokena.

This week, pressing the Will County Sheriff's Office for answers, sheriff's office spokeswoman Elizabeth Matthews revealed that Gordon's death has been ruled a homicide, and that he died as a result of gunshot wounds, according to the autopsy findings.

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Prior to the discovery of the human bones in rural Mokena, the Joliet Police Department was in charge of solving the missing person's mystery surrounding Gordon. He vanished from the east side of Joliet, over near Collins Street, on June 27, 2025.

During previous interviews with Joliet Patch, Joliet Police officials indicated that Gordon's silver Pontiac G6 sedan that he was believed to be driving at the time of his disappearance was found abandoned in another community.

Last year, Gordon's family told Joliet Patch that a Crest Hill resident whose cell phone was believed to have placed him in the same area as Gordon around the time of his disappearance, had remained in the Will County Jail since July of 2025 when he was arrested by Joliet police on unrelated weapons charges. The Illinois Department of Corrections now shows the Crest Hill convict is 27 years old and serving his unrelated prison sentence at the Big Muddy Correctional Center. He has a parole date of July 2, 2027.

So far, nobody has been arrested in connection with Gordon's disappearance or slaying.

This week, Joliet Patch submitted the following written questions to the Will County Sheriff's Office in regard to the status of the Gordon investigation. The sheriff's answers came from Matthews, the former Fox Channel 32 Chicago television news reporter.

Patch: "Tehran Gordon's remains were discovered on March 24 in rural Mokena. Was the sheriff's office ultimately able to determine if Terhan died from a homicide or were his remains just too decomposed to obtain an autopsy cause and manner of death?"

Matthews: "Yes it was determined that Gordon died from gunshot wounds based on autopsy results. Homicide."

Patch: "What is the status of the investigation at this stage? Is Terhan's case active, or has it stalled? Is there promising potential for arrests and criminal charges in the near future?"

Matthews: "The case remains being actively worked by detectives."

Patch: "Do detectives believe Terhan Gordon came to harm at the remote location where his remains were found or was his body dumped there after he was harmed elsewhere?"

Matthews: "No comment on this at this point."

Patch: "What factors, if any, have complicated this investigation or made it difficult for the Will County Sheriff's Office?"

Matthews: "The missing persons case was originally investigated by Joliet Police a year before we were involved, but we have worked with them without issue."

Patch: "Has the Sheriff's Office developed any promising leads or new leads since March 24 when the remains of the missing Joliet man were found?"

Matthews: "The case remains active and we have been conducting interviews and working with the family of Gordon."

Patch: "How many suspects or persons of interest does Will County have regarding Terhan's disappearance and death? Has at least one of them died? Are some of them currently incarcerated for unrelated crimes?"

Matthews: "No Comment at this point."

Patch: "Finally, what else would the Will County Sheriff's Office want Terhan's family, friends and the community at large to know about the status of his case at this point in time?"

Matthews: "Detectives are still actively working on the case and working closely with the family on any new information as it comes to light."

On Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for the Terhan Gordon family supplied Joliet Patch's editor with the following statement in regard to the case, now six months after his remains were found in the Mokena area. Until then, Gordon had been missing from Joliet for the previous nine months.

"Enough is enough," she responded. "Terhan Gordon was somebody's son, father, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin and loved one. His life mattered and his family deserves the truth about what happened to him. The family firmly believes that more than one person may have been involved in the circumstances surrounding Terhan's death.

"We are calling on the Will County Sheriff's Office and Joliet Police Department to take this case seriously, follow every piece of evidence and pursue every person who the investigation establishes was involved."

Gordon's family also went on to say, "So we are asking, what are you waiting for? If the evidence supports arrests, make the arrests. If additional investigation is needed, do the investigation. If someone knows what happened, hold them accountable ... We cannot bring Terhan back, but we can demand that the truth be uncovered and that justice be served ... Step up. Do your job. Follow the evidence. And if the evidence establishes who is responsible, hold them accountable. Terhan deserves justice. His family deserves justice. Justice 4 T3. T3 will get justice. We will not stop until the truth is known."

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Terhan Gordon, Missing Since June: Joliet Police Discuss Investigation Status At 5 Months

Missing Joliet Man's Car Discovered, Joliet Police Reveal Latest Search Area

Man Missing From Joliet: Police