Wheaton man pleads not guilty to soliciting murders of judge, three others

A former Wheaton man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he solicited the murders of four people, including the judge who sent him to prison for his 10th DUI.

Gordon Vanderark, 54, entered the formal plea at a brief arraignment in front of DuPage County Judge George Bakalis. He did not speak, other than to say he understood the charges.

Vanderark is accused of offering $70,000 to a fellow inmate at Centralia Correctional Center for the killings of DuPage Judge Blanche Hill Fawell, Assistant State's Attorney Audrey Anderson, his ex-wife and a man who had Vanderark's power of attorney. Prosecutors said the scheme fell apart after the unidentified inmate contacted Fawell warning that her life was in danger.

Vanderark faces a 24-count indictment, including charges of solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire. If convicted and found eligible for an extended term, he could be sentenced to up to 80 years, prosecutors said.

Last week, private defense attorney Neil Levine was brought in to represent Vanderark amid concerns of a potential conflict with the public defender's office, where Anderson's sister is an attorney and supervisor. Levine declined to comment on the case after court Monday.

Prosecutors said Vanderark told the fellow inmate he wanted his victims to suffer and gave explicit instructions for how he wanted Fawell in particular treated. Authorities said they recorded Vanderark discussing the plan, which was to be carried out after the fellow inmate was paroled.

Fawell sentenced Vanderark last year to 18 years in prison for his 10th drunken driving conviction, a case prosecuted by Anderson. Fawell reduced the term to 16 years after Vanderark petitioned her to reconsider her original ruling.

Vanderark returns to court Jan. 23.