Joshua Maylee appeared in Callaway County Court on Friday via video-conference from Boone County for a counsel status hearing.
Maylee is accused of fatally shooting Jeffrey Werdehausen and Eugene and Jackie Pinet last month in Callaway County.
The Public Defender's office declined Maylee's case a second time during the hearing.
When Maylee requested an explanation, he was told that after the first application was made on Oct. 29, the office found that Maylee had $60,000 of assets in a bank account and several thousands of dollars worth of lawn equipment. The defender noted that after the second application, the office found the $60,000 had been removed from his account and turned over to another person.
The Public Defender said that the office understood that some of the equipment Maylee possessed may have been stolen, but felt he still had some assets there as well.
"He was in the position to have the money, but chose not to use it for counsel and to use it for something else," Public Defender Justin Carver said. "If that is the route we want to take, even Bill Gates could qualify for a public defender if he signed over his assets to another person."
Associate Circuit Judge Carol England advised Maylee to find outside counsel before a Dec. 23 hearing.
An attorney did step forward for Maylee in his theft case, but said she expected to only be a substitute attorney for other charges.
Maylee is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first degree assault with serious physical injury.