EXCLUSIVE: Mother of Jordan Morgan speaks with ABC 36 as murder suspect returns to court

For Foster and her family, the pain and memories still linger

RICHMOND, Ky (WTVQ)- It’s been nearly a year since 32-year-old Jordan Morgan was killed in a February 2022 home invasion.

Her accused killer Shannon Gilday was back in court in Madison County Friday.

Morgan’s mother Lisa Foster was in court and spoke exclusively with ABC 36 News.

“It’s a suffocating kind of torture. I just want to die,” says Foster, recalling the past year.

For Foster and her family, the pain of that dreadful day still lingers. But she says she cherishes the memories she made with her daughter.

“I would fix her a sack lunch. Here, she’s an attorney going to work and she stops by for coffee and I fix her a little sack lunch with a healthy diet meal in it,” says Foster.

She describes Jordan as the light of the family who wanted to make a difference as an attorney in the lives of crime and human trafficking survivors.
Jordan had just landed her dream job at an attorneys office in Lexington days before she lost her life.

Foster wanted to set the record straight after her daughter’s death.

“Throughout the whole thing, no offense, but the news media has made it all about this one-term state representative that lives in a mansion on the hill and his daughter was killed,” says Foster. “It was Jordan Morgan, this beautiful 32-year-old attorney that wouldn’t hurt a fly,was murdered as she laid sleeping in her bed.”

Back in court once again, Foster was visibly emotional as her daughters accused killer Shannon Gilday walked through the door way on Friday.

Gilday was entered into a not guilty plea on assault charges. During the court appearance, the defense attorney Tom Griffiths addressed two motions filed regarding Gilday’s mental health. One was for improved living conditions and another that in-person visitation be granted to Gilday’s mother. The judge overruled those motions- ordering Gilday be evaluated and that a report be provided to the court. Griffiths saying the motions were filed because of Gilday’s deteriorating health.

“Shannon’s falling apart. And as you may have heard in the courtroom, that has led to behavior at the jail and it has led to hallucinations. He believes his own family are not real, he believes that they are computer projections. That’s the sort of thing getting worse not better,” says Griffiths.

Jordan Morgan’s father former state lawmaker Wesley Morgan also spoke with ABC 36 by phone. He says he’s still recovering physically and says his family is also dealing with mental trauma resulting from the incident.

Lisa Foster says the Commonwealth Attorney is pushing for the death penalty in the case against Gilday, a decision she supports.

“I hope that justice is served. But if not, God is our ultimate judge. So it will work out,” says Foster.

Meanwhile, Foster is looking forward to the day she’s reunited with her daughter once again.

“I have strong faith. That’s what kept me going,” says Foster.