BALTIMORE — A Harford County man convicted of killing two people, including his cellmate at a Baltimore detention facility, is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday morning, according to Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.
Gordon Staron was charged in September 2022 with using an axe to murder 63-year-old Keith Bell at a bus station on East Monument Street. Police said Bell was taken to a hospital after the attack but did not survive.
Following his arrest, Staron was booked into the Baltimore City Central Booking Intake Facility and charged with first-degree murder.
Just a month later, in October 2022, another tragedy unfolded. Officials reported that Javarick Gantt, a 34-year-old deaf detainee from Annapolis, was found unresponsive in his cell at the same facility. Gantt had been detained since July 2022 on relatively minor charges. His death was ruled a homicide, and Staron was charged with his murder.
State’s Attorney Bates personally joined the prosecution team for Gantt’s murder trial, announcing in January 2023 that he would seek a life sentence without parole. It was the first time in nearly a decade that a sitting Baltimore City State’s Attorney had taken such an active role in a prosecution.
“You have a suspect who committed two separate murders — one involving an older adult and another targeting a vulnerable, disabled individual,” Bates said, explaining his decision to step in.
The case also raised concerns about Baltimore’s jail system. Officials faced tough questions about how Staron, charged with a brutal murder, ended up being housed with Gantt, a disabled man detained on minor charges. Jail authorities have yet to provide clear answers.
Staron pled guilty to both murders in October 2024. His sentencing is set for Thursday morning.
“When I campaigned for this office, I promised to be a champion and defender of our older adult and disabled community in Baltimore,” Bates said. “The outcomes of these cases will ensure that Mr. Staron is never back on our streets to commit more malicious acts against vulnerable individuals.”