Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore Moves Swiftly to Make 3 New Hires
June 1, 2023

All Are Veterans of the Office Returning To Fill Key Leadership Roles


ST. LOUIS, MO (June 1, 2023) — Three days into the job, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore is filling his legal bench with prosecutors who have a deep working knowledge of the office.


New Hires Include:


  • Mary Patricia Carl
  • Steven J. Capizzi
  • Terrence O’Toole, Sr.


“My priority is rebuilding this office with prosecutors at the top of their field. We are fortunate to have three very experienced attorneys joining our staff with a deep working knowledge of criminal justice in the City of St. Louis. They will be able to hit the ground running. That is extremely important given the extreme backlog of cases,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.


Carl served for 14 years at the Circuit Attorney’s office and rose to Lead Homicide Prosecutor. She will return to that leadership post.


“I am passionate about the success of the Circuit Attorney’s Office and the City of St. Louis. I want to be there and do the hard work of stabilizing the Circuit Attorney’s Office and restoring the public’s trust in the criminal justice system,” said Carl.


Steven Capizzi returns to the office as Chief Warrant Officer. He served the city for fifteen years, prosecuting more than a thousand cases in the Circuit Attorney’s office.


“It is very important to me that an office I hold so dear is successful. I am excited about the opportunity to come back and assist in returning the office to a respectful and fair cornerstone in the community,” said Capizzi.


The third hire is a longtime colleague of the Circuit Attorney. Terry O’Toole has worked alongside Gore in private practice for many years, but his roots in the Circuit Attorney’s office run deep. O’Toole served as First Assistant Circuit Attorney from 1976-1978. He will begin work on Friday, June 2, 2023, as a senior advisor.


Gore’s top priorities are hiring talented prosecutors, clearing the backlog of cases, building relationships with the community, and returning professionalism to the office.


“This will have an immediate impact on our ability to address the violent crime crisis that we are experiencing in St. Louis. While similar trends are being seen in other urban areas around the country, my job is to play a role in securing a higher level of public safety for St. Louis residents. These hires go long way to sending a signal that the Circuit Attorney’s Office is prepared to aggressively prosecute those who commit violent crime,” said Gore.


O’Toole’s first day will be Friday, June 2. Carl and Capizzi begin work in mid-June.


###

For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Amber Raub

Public Information Officer

St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office

rauba@stlouiscao.org

314-589-6233 (office)

314-312-9912 (cell)

More News

Hyde Park Man Convicted in Murder of Landlord During Eviction Dispute

May 24, 2025
ST. LOUIS, MO (May 23, 2025) — James Cody Jr., 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action by a jury on Friday for the March 8, 2022, murder of Michael Kelly, 72, in the 3900 block of North 25th Street in the City’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The case stemmed from an ongoing landlord-tenant dispute. Mr. Kelly, the victim, was the landlord of a residence on the 4000 block of North 22nd Street, where Cody’s girlfriend, Deseray Rabb, had stopped paying rent. Despite a court-ordered eviction, Rabb refused to vacate the property. As the legal process unfolded, Cody, who was not listed on the lease but was the father of Rabb’s three children, began threatening Mr. Kelly. On the morning of the murder, surveillance footage captured Cody following Mr. Kelly as he drove to his office. Once parked, Cody was seen approaching the vehicle with a rifle and fatally shooting him. A Nissan Sentra rented under Rabb’s name was spotted in the area and later recovered with ballistic damage concealed by duct tape. Cody was arrested days later at a St. Louis County motel, where he and Rabb were staying with their children. The jury recommended a sentence of 25 years for second-degree murder and 10 years for armed criminal action. Cody’s sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2025. Deseray Rabb, Cody’s girlfriend and co-defendant, was charged with accessory to first-degree murder and accessory to armed criminal action. She was acquitted by the jury. Tanja Engelhardt, Homicide Unit Chief, and Assistant Circuit Attorneys Timothy Wright and Emily Price prosecuted the case. “This was a ruthless, targeted killing over a lawful eviction. This senseless act of violence has destroyed multiple families. We will relentlessly prosecute those who choose to settle disputes with gun violence to the fullest extent of the law,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. Cody’s case number is 2322-CR01089.

St. Louis Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Shooting Former Girlfriend in the Face

May 19, 2025
Robert Harper, 43, was sentenced following a guilty plea on Monday to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action for shooting his former girlfriend.

Man Convicted in Deadly 2021 Triple Shooting in Fairground Neighborhood

May 15, 2025
Charles Anderson, 66, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of armed criminal action in connection to a 2021 shooting that killed two people and injured another in the 2900 block of Kossuth Avenue in the City’s Fairground neighborhood.