St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar announces retirement

ST. CHARLES COUNTY (KMOV) -- St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar has announced he’s leaving the job.

The St. Charles County Government released the following statement Thursday at the request of Lohmar:

“For the past 12 years, I have had the privilege of serving the citizens of St. Charles County, first as an elected judge, and for the last 10 years as the elected Prosecuting Attorney. I am proud of what we have accomplished during this tenure in protecting the St. Charles County community and consider it to be one of the greatest honors of my life. This community has honorable police officers, dedicated prosecutors and staff, and, perhaps most importantly, citizens, who support the law enforcement community.We have accomplished a lot together:

1. We established the Special Victims Unit, the first of its kind, by assembling a team of individuals dedicated to prosecuting sexual offenders, child abusers and domestic abusers.

2. We worked with the Criminal Interdiction Task Force, a collaborative effort of law enforcement departments across the County whose mission is to eradicate motor vehicle thefts and vehicle break-ins.

3. We took a zero-tolerance approach to violent crime by seeking high bonds and mandatory prison sentences for weapons offenses and gun violence.

4. We were part of solving several cold cases, the most significant of which to me was the Angie Housman case, finally bringing her killer to justice after 27 years.

5. We attracted and retained excellent lawyers and staff for the office, we worked well with the judges of the 11th Judicial Circuit and the police departments of St. Charles County, and we did our part to ensure that our community was a pillar in this region.

Today, I am announcing that I am retiring from public office, and I am excited to say that I will be entering the private practice of law. St. Charles County will always be my home, and I look forward to continuing to be a part of serving this community in different ways.

Inevitably, there will be questions about my decision and about its timing mid-term. Let me answer them this way: this is not a sudden decision nor an easy one. The job of prosecuting attorney is rewarding, challenging, and at times grueling. My family and I came to the conclusion several months ago that it was time for me to consider other professional opportunities as I realized I could no longer give this job the energy and attention it requires and still have time for my family and for my own health and well-being. I did not want to shortchange my colleagues, my family, the people of St. Charles, or myself. Because of that, we knew it was time to begin a new chapter.

By law, the County Executive is vested with the authority to appoint the successor to this Office, subject to the approval of the Council. I am confident the person chosen will continue the outstanding work that my team has accomplished throughout my tenure for the citizens of St. Charles County. I also wish to extend my sincerest gratitude to the County Executive for his personal confidences in me, and his support of law enforcement and community safety. We are very fortunate to live in a County with outstanding leadership.

I will be forever humbled and grateful to have been given the responsibility and opportunity by voters to do my part to ensure that St. Charles County is truly one of the very best places to live and raise a family.

To all who have played a role along the way, I thank them from my heart.”

The Prosecutor was first appointed to the office in 2012. He last ran for election unopposed in 2022.

His tenure was marked with many prosecutorial successes, such as the handling of the case against Pam Hupp for the murder of Louis Gumpenberger. He also oversaw the team that ultimately brought Earl Cox to justice for the death of Angie Housman decades ago.

In a statement following the retirement announcement, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell said, “Tim informed me of his pending decision several months ago, so this announcement does not come as a surprise to me. During my time as St. Louis County prosecutor, our offices have worked very well together under Tim’s leadership. From the very beginning, Tim has been nothing but supportive to myself and our office, and I wish him nothing but the best.”

He has faced some controversy, as well.

On July 1, Lohmar was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated near the Lake of the Ozarks. As of Thursday afternoon, charges had not been issued in the case.

At the time, he issued the following statement:

“It’s unfortunate that I have to make an announcement of my involvement in a situation in Miller County last week. I maintain that I am innocent of any wrongdoing, and I will respect the legal process as it unfolds.”

Back in 2019, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Attorney General’s Office investigated Lohmar for harassment after Judge Erin Burleson, with whom he’d had a relationship, called the police over two incidents at her home.

The Attorney General eventually said they were dropping the matter in deference to the victim’s wishes, particularly after Lohmar apologized for what he called his “irresponsible actions.”

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