It didn’t take jurors very long to render a guilty verdict against a Jamaica man for committing murder during a home invasion more than three years ago.
Elijah Gough, 31, of 116th Avenue was convicted on Jan. 31 of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted burglary, second-degree kidnapping and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, the jury spent about three hours in deliberation before handing down its verdict against Gough, who faces up to 25 years to life behind bars when he is sentenced on Feb. 15.
“[Gough] participated in an afternoon of horrors for one family,” Brown said in a statement. “A 21-year-old man was shot and killed, his uncle was also shot twice, but survived his injuries. A jury weighed all the evidence and found the defendant guilty. He will now face a lengthy term of incarceration for his actions.”
The deadly home invasion occurred at 6 p.m. on the night of Dec. 5, 2014; Gough was one of three masked perpetrators who forced their way inside a Jamaica apartment. Prosecutors said the trio confronted a 27-year-old man and his 74-year-old mother.
According to the charges, the bandits sprayed the 27-year-old man in the face with mace and held him and his mother at gunpoint. One of the suspects then walked into a nearby bedroom, found 21-year-old Taquane Clarke and shot him in the head. Clarke subsequently died of his injuries.
The suspects then forced the 27-year-old man into the rear of the apartment; one of the crooks demanded property, then shot him in the leg and abdomen. The victim would survive his injuries.
At one point during the home invasion, however, Gough wound up being shot in the leg. He managed to limp out of the apartment but made it only as far as a neighboring yard, where he hid for several hours. He was later taken by private transportation to a local hospital for treatment.
While investigating the crime scene, police found Gough’s mask, a backpack and a sneaker in the yard, each of which contained genetic material that matched his DNA.
Gough was arrested and charged by the 113th Precinct Detective Squad.
