ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis pharmacy student is facing charges for the murder of a prominent Edwardsville attorney.
Randy Gori, 48, was found dead in his home Sunday. Timothy Banowetz, 28, is in police custody charged with murder, robbery and three counts of unlawful restraint.
Police say he tied up Gori and two minor children at the scene of the crime before stabbing Gori and making off in the attorney's Rolls Royce SUV.
Banowetz had been enrolled there since fall of 2018. His friends say he was a hard worker, trying to balance classes and 14 hour overnight shifts at a warehouse where he worked.
Below is an image of Banowetz at school
He told some of them he could barely afford his apartment and owed money to the pharmacy school before he could register for classes next semester.
The president of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy put out a statement saying Banowetz was a "student in good standing during the fall semester" and that they're "shocked and deeply saddened" by the allegations against him.
The I-Team learned he graduated from the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri in December of 2014 with a degree in business administration.
Court records show he was sued for almost $4,000 in back-rent for his downtown St. Louis apartment last October.
His friends said he wanted to be a pharmacist so he could make more money, and afford nice things instead of just scraping by.
Neighbors at his last known address in Wentzville say he was quiet and they barely ever saw him.
It's still unclear if Gori and Banowetz knew each other or what police believe is the motive behind the murder.
Banowetz's family did not return our calls for comment Tuesday.
