Six counts of first degree murder charges were filed by the Greene County State Attorney’s Office Tuesday against a relative of two brothers, both native to the township of Rockbridge, stabbed to death at approximately 10:30 p.m. Sunday night.
28 year old Adam J. Gowin, also of Rockbridge, was arrested before midnight Monday. According to Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen, Gowin is a nephew of the victims, 55 year old Ronald Plummer and 54 year old Billy Plummer, being the son of one of their brothers.
The location of Sunday night’s double homicide was 585 State Road in Rockbridge.
According to a press release from Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe, his office has filed three charges of first degree murder for each of the two deceased men. According to Briscoe, each count alleges a different legal theory as to how the offense was committed, but all charges would seek to prove there were physical actions that Adam Gowin committed, that those actions were the stabbings of Ronald and Billy Plummer, and that the stabbings resulted in each of their deaths.
Gowin made his first appearance in Greene County Court Tuesday. Circuit Judge James Day informed Gowin that if he is found guilty of first-degree murder for one of his uncles, he will face between 20 and 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections followed by 3 years Mandatory Supervised Release. If Gowin is found guilty of first degree murder for the deaths of both of his uncles, the sentence would immediately become imprisonment for the rest of his natural life.
Bail was set for Gowin at two and a half million dollars [$2,500,000], meaning that posting bail would require two hundred fifty thousand dollars [$250,000] cash before he can be released from the Greene County Jail.
Public Defender Tom Piper was appointed to represent Adam Gowin in the future. Gowin’s next scheduled court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Monday, October 1st at 2:30 p.m.