CARROLLTON - A Greene County man will serve a 50-year sentence for the 2018 murders of Billy and Ronald Plummer. Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe announced that on September 11, 2020, Adam Gowin was sentenced to serve five decades in Illinois Department of Corrections in connection to the murders. The sentence brings an end to the court case that has been pending for just over two years.
The state alleged that Gowin stabbed his uncles, Billy and Ronald Plummer, on September 9, 2018.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Gowin entered a plea of “Guilty but Mentally Ill” to a charge of First-Degree Murder in connection with the death of Ronald Plummer, and “Guilty but Mentally Ill” to a charge of Second-Degree Murder as to Billy Plummer. For each case, he was sentenced to 25 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Pursuant to Illinois Law, those sentences run consecutively, or back-to-back to one another, resulting in a 50-year sentence.
Last month, a psychological evaluation was ordered to determine whether Gowin was eligible for a “Guilty but Mentally Ill” disposition. The “Guilty but Mentally Ill” sentence does not impact the amount of time Gowin will serve in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The mentally ill differentiation applies to how Gowin will be treated upon his arrival in prison, allowing him access to additional mental health treatment while incarcerated.
State’s Attorney Briscoe said, “I hope this brings a sense of closure to the Plummer family, who have worked a great deal with my office to bring this case to a close. This is an unusual case in that the defendant and victims are from the same family. In many ways, the family lost three members due to the events of that night, and our small community’s sense of safety was definitely impacted as well.”
The 50-year sentence was a result of the work of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the Greenfield Police Department, the Illinois State Police, the Greene County Coroner’s Office, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Gillespie Police Department.
“As the only prosecutor in Greene County, I walked through the crime scene the night of this incident, and I witnessed first hand how much hard work and dedication it takes to conduct this kind of investigation. We have great people working hard to protect the citizens of Greene County every day,” said Briscoe.
Gowin was represented by Greene County Public Defender, Thomas Piper.
More like this:
Related Video:
