Extradition process underway for murder suspect

The Jackson County, Ill., state's attorney has filed a request to extradite the man accused of killing a 40-year-old Cape Girardeau woman and dumping her body in a ditch.

Brandon L. Banks, 28, of Cape Girardeau is suspected of killing Marsha Ann Brown.

A motorist discovered Brown's body the morning of Jan. 14 in a ditch on the south side of Potters Road near U.S. 51 in rural Makanda, Ill., the Jackson County Sheriff's Department has reported.

At this point, Banks -- who was arrested Jan. 16 in St. Louis -- is the only suspect in the case, said Lt. Mike O'Leary of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

"The investigation is ongoing, and we'll see where it takes us, but right now, he's our sole suspect," O'Leary said Wednesday.

Under a federal treaty, the governor of each state is required to honor extradition requests from other governors, but the 90-day process takes several steps, Jackson County State's Attorney Michael Carr said.

The first step -- sending a request to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn -- is complete, Carr said Wednesday.

"We've already submitted it," he said.

Once Quinn reviews the request, the next step is for him to contact Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and ask him to issue an order requiring Banks to go back to Illinois to face charges.

From Nixon's office, the case will go to the Missouri court system, which must hold a hearing to determine whether Banks is the same person wanted for a warrant in Illinois, Carr said.

If the court finds Banks is, indeed, the suspect wanted in Illinois, Nixon then must sign an order extraditing him to Illinois, Carr said.

Banks' last known address was 716 N. Sprigg St. in Cape Girardeau -- the same address where local police helped agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives execute a search warrant the day before his arrest.

Online court records show Banks has several prior offenses, including a 2011 case in which he was placed on probation for unlawful possession of a firearm and a 2007 case in which he pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance.

According to an obituary from Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau, Brown ­-- who was born in Chaffee, Mo. -- was a mother and grandmother.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Potters Road and U.S. 51, Makanda, Ill.

716 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO