Local Man Tried to Pay 'Hit Man' $20K to Kill His Wife, Authorities Say

Authorities said a Chelmsford man concocted a plan to hire a hit man to kill his wife.

Andrew Gordon, 51, was arraigned Monday on a a host of charges.

Prosecutors said in August, Gordon attempted to pay $20,000 to an undercover state trooper posing as a hit man. Gordon initially wanted his wife dead, but he changed his mind and told the hit man to beat her up enough so she couldn’t attend a scheduled court hearing, authorities said.

Gordon allegedly formed the plan after his wife informed him she wanted a divorce.

District Attorney Marian Ryan said Gordon vandalized her vehicle, as well as others in the neighborhood. He also watched her apartment from the woods while wearing a ski mask and binoculars, Ryan said.

“This defendant’s alleged actions escalated quickly from property damage to potentially severe violence,” Ryan said in a statement. “These alleged actions affected the safety and property of several people, including total strangers.”

Chelmsford police, Tynsboro police, and State Police worked together on the investigation. Gordon was arrested Friday.

Photo: File

Have a news tip? E-mail westford@patch.com. You can also post your own news, events and announcements on Patch by following these directions. Curious about how our new commenting platform, Disqus, works? Learn more about it here and start interacting with your neighbors on Patch.