Prosecutor wants to seek federal death penalty in Edwardsville attorney’s homicide
Since the state of Illinois does not allow the death penalty, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons said he wants to find out if the federal death penalty could be imposed if defendants are found guilty in three recent homicide cases, including the stabbing death of prominent Edwardsville attorney Randy Gori.
All of the suspects in the three cases are accused of crossing state lines before the homicides occurred and those moves could prompt the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute the cases, Gibbons said Saturday. If found guilty of murder in federal court, defendants can be sentenced to death.
“We want to see whether or not we can bring the resources of the federal government here to our community to right these wrongs to make sure to bring the most severe justice,” Gibbons said in a statement to KTVI-Channel 2 on Friday.
Gori was found stabbed to death in his home near Edwardsville on Jan. 4 and a man from Missouri, Timothy Banowetz, 28, was arrested the next day. According to charging documents, Banowetz bound the hands of Gori and two minors before using a knife to stab Gori to death. He’s accused of stealing cash and two cellphones and fleeing in the family’s Rolls-Royce SUV.
Here’s a roundup of the other two homicide cases:
▪ Jason Thomas, 36, of Granite City was found shot to death Thursday. Kadeem Noland, 27, of St. Louis and Kristine Mills, 34, of Granite City were each charged with murder in connection with Thomas’ death.
▪ Shari Yates, 59, her son, Andrew Brooks, 30, and John McMillian, 32, were shot to death in a Bethalto home last month. A couple from Alabama -- Brady Kane Witcher, 41, and Brittany McMillan, 28 -- have been charged with murder in connection with the triple homicide. Witcher and McMillan also are suspects in a home invasion in Tennessee and a homicide in Alabama.
All of the defendants were arrested shortly after the murder victims were found.
Former Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation in 2011 to abolish the death penalty in Illinois. Gibbons said he opposed Quinn’s decision and that he supports capital punishment.
Gibbons said he expects to send a letter on Monday to federal prosecutors.
This story was originally published January 11, 2020 at 8:43 PM.
