Gabriel E. Gore Sworn in as Circuit Attorney For the City of St. Louis
January 1, 2025

ST. LOUIS, MO (January 01, 2025) — Gabriel E. Gore was sworn in today as Circuit Attorney for the City of St. Louis. Gore was elected on November 5, 2024, and ran unopposed. Gore had been appointed by Gov. Mike Parson on May 19, 2023, to fill the unexpired term of previous Circuit Attorney, Kim Gardner, who resigned. He was sworn in by 22nd Circuit Presiding Judge Christopher E. McGraugh at a brief ceremony in the Clyde S. Cahill Courthouse.


“It is an honor to lead this historically revered office and help restore public confidence in the criminal justice system,” Gore said. “We will continue to pursue justice and strive to make St. Louis a safer, more vibrant community for everyone.”


Gore has been widely praised for his accomplishments during his first 18 months as Circuit Attorney. He was given the Missouri State University Government Excellence Award (2023); The St. Louis American Person of the Year Award (2023); The Spirit of Justice Award from the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (2024); the Mel Carnahan Public Service Award (2024) and the St. Louis Award (2024).

 

Gore was a partner at Dowd Bennett LLP and has more than 23 years of experience in private law practice. Before moving to the private sector, he served as an Assistant Special Counsel in the Office of Special Counsel John C. Danforth during its investigation of the standoff between the federal government and the Branch Davidian religious cult in Waco, Texas in 1993.


He began his career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. 


He is a past member of the St. Louis Community Foundation, Forest Park Forever Board of Directors, Missouri Supreme Court Advisory Committee, and Missouri State University Board of Governors.


Gore earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Missouri State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School.



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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

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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.
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