Car chase suspect charged in burglary

Family members say Richard Ryan Gilmore felt like he had "nothing to lose" when he led police on a high-speed chase Tuesday afternoon through Cape Girardeau and Southern Illinois because he knew he was already the prime suspect in a recent burglary.

Gilmore, 29, of 219 County Rd. 540, was charged Wednesday with first-degree burglary and misdemeanor stealing in connection with a break-in and theft of money from a Cape Girardeau home July 12.

"He knew he was going to jail and he just didn't care," said Ron Gilmore, the suspect's cousin. The cousin had reported the stolen van which Gilmore drove Tuesday in a two-hour chase with police.

"They kept talking about how the chase didn't get over 80 miles per hour, but that's just because the van only goes that fast," Ron Gilmore said. "If he had stolen something faster, he would have wrecked that car and killed himself. Believe me, he felt like he had nothing to lose."

Richard Gilmore is expected to make an appearance in court today to face eight driving charges in the chase that led police back and forth across the Mississippi River bridge three times. He also hit three police cars, one other car and ran several other vehicles off the road while he was on Interstate 55 and Southern Illinois'highways before he was stopped on Interstate 57 in Missouri.

The charges stemming from the chase include only one felony -- driving with a license that was revoked as a repeat offender. Misdemeanor charges include two counts of failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, three counts of careless and imprudent driving and two counts of running a stop sign.

The suspect was being held Wednesday night in Cape Girardeau County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bond. He faces up to five years in prison and 2 1/2 years in the county jail for the driving charges. The burglary and stealing charge carries a possible penalty of five to 15 years in prison.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said he chose not to charge him with assaulting a law enforcement officer based on the suspect's intent.

"He was trying to get away as opposed to trying to hurt someone," Swingle said. "It's hard enough to convict somebody if you have an injury and it's much harder if there is no injury."

The man's uncle and cousins own C & G Feed and Supply in rural Jackson. When they noticed that the company van was missing, they immediately thought of the relative who goes by Ryan.

"We just kind of knew it was Ryan," Ron Gilmore said. "Stuff around here seemed to disappear when he was around. It usually turned back up, but not this time."

Ron Gilmore said his cousin "borrowed" a car in the past, and it turned up a mile away.

"He'd go into town for the weekend and trouble seemed to always find him," he said.

But Ron Gilmore said he's not totally unsympathetic.

"I hope they can put him in some kind of rehab and maybe straighten him out," he said. "I'd like to see that."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137