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NEW CUMBERLAND -- A Weirton man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the 2024 fatal shooting of his then-girlfriend and was sentenced Friday to 30 years in a state penitentiary.
Jordan Lee Pager, 34, entered the guilty plea before Circuit Court Judge Joe Barki in Wheeling.
Pager was arrested in September 2024 and accused of killing Taylor M. Albert, 30, in their home at 3025 Elm St. in Weirton.
Hancock County Prosecutor Steve Dragisich said a trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday.
"Last week, his attorneys approached me about a potential plea," Dragisich said, noting there had been similar discussions over the last two years.
The plea offer was communicated to Albert's family before being accepted by the court, and they agreed to the terms, Dragisich said.
"This was something we had discussed with the victim’s family," Dragisich said. "They were fully on board. We would not have gone forward without them."
According to reports at the time, Weirton police were dispatched to the Elm Street address at approximately 4:50 a.m. Sept. 28, 2024, in response to a medical call initially identified as a potential drug overdose.
Upon arriving, officers reported seeing Pager walking from the residence, yelling at emergency medical personnel while holding a handgun. Officers directed him to drop the gun, and when he did not comply, subdued him using a Taser.
A search of the house found Albert dead from a gunshot wound to the face.
Pager was indicted by a Hancock County grand jury in January 2025 on charges of murder and wanton endangerment involving a firearm.
Dragisich expressed appreciation to Albert's family and said he hopes the outcome can bring some measure of justice.
"It's never going to bring their daughter or sister back," Dragisich said. "We do feel that justice was done, and he’ll have a lot of time to think about what he has done."