Madison County Public Defender John Rekowski said his office was appointed to represent Timothy Michael Banowetz, who is accused of killing asbestos attorney Randy Gori.
Banowetz was charged in the murder on Jan. 6, but the public defender’s office wasn’t appointed to represent him until Jan. 8 after Banowetz’s first court appearance.
Banowetz is expected to be arraigned on Jan. 17.
Madison County State's Attorney's office is prosecuting the case, with no plans to recuse in spite of a previous stated conflict of interest involving a Gori case.
Banowetz, 28, of Wentzville, is being charged with three alternative counts of first degree murder, three counts of armed robbery, and three counts of aggravated unlawful restraint. He is also being charged with an offense related to a motor vehicle.
He is being held at the Madison County jail, and bond has not been set.
Gori was found dead in his rural Edwardsville home Saturday night, having been stabbed and cut. Banowetz is accused of ordering Gori and two minors to the ground and binding their hands. During the event, the suspect allegedly took cell phones from the minors and money from Gori.
Banowetz had been in the home for an “extended” period of time and was not injured, said David Vucich, who is a captain with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and commander of the Major Case Squad activated in this case.
He added that Banowetz was found by Major Case Squad officers in a wooded area about 1,200 feet from the home.
The 2020 Rolls Royce SUV Cullinan that Banowetz allegedly stole after the crime was found on an unpaved roadway off Zika Lane.