Month: June 2015

Court documents on Monday revealed a possible motive after Columbia police arrested a suspect for arson following a seven-hour standoff over the weekend. Mehrdad Fotoohighiam barricaded himself inside the home off Carrick Court and refused to communicate with authorities Saturday night. On Friday the Boone County prosecutor’s office issued a warrant for Fotoohighiam’s arrest for

An autopsy was scheduled Monday for 31-year-old Sarah Nicholls. Her body was found Saturday afternoon in Moniteau County. Right now, authorities believe she was carried away by heavy flood waters while camping with a friend in Prairie Home Thursday night. Some of Nicholls’ closest friends find it hard to believe she was simply swept away.

A Columbia man landed in jail, accused of assaulting a woman near Socket off Clark Lane. Police arrested Jeffery Peterson, 38, around 4:15 p.m. Sunday. The victim was in a relationship with Peterson. She claims he shoved her around 3 Sunday morning, biting her thumb and taking her money and cigarettes before throwing her puppy

A central Missouri man is facing two felonies and a misdemeanor after officials say he was caught with drugs. Justin Lange appeared in court Monday, after he was stopped by officers this weekend near East 14th Street and South Marvin Avenue in Sedalia. Police dogs found meth, marijuana and drug-packing material in his car. Lange

A home caught on fire over the weekend after a lightning strike near the Lake of the Ozarks. Flames were coming from the roof around 5:30 Friday morning off Wedge Wood Court, about 10 minutes north of Camdenton. Crews managed to keep most of the blaze contained to the attic, but there was also smoke

A Springfield woman charged with arranging her mother’s death has pleaded not guilty. Gypsy Blancharde, 23, entered the plea Monday during a brief hearing in Greene County Court. She is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the June 14 stabbing death of 48-year-old Clauddinnea “Dee Dee” Blancharde at their home near Springfield.

Two men were arrested for heroin in Callaway County Sunday after a police chase that started in Jefferson City and ended with a crash near Kingdom City. Joseph Paul, 22, of Jefferson City, and Antonio Green, 18, of St. Louis, were both taken into custody for drugs. Officials claim the pursuit started around 8:30 p.m.

Columbia police are searching for the suspect who robbed a Midwest Petroleum store Sunday night off Providence Road. According to police, the suspect entered the store and demanded money from the cashier, implying he had a weapon, but no weapon was seen. The suspect left the store on a bicycle heading eastbound on Locust Street

Sunday, a home is damaged in north Columbia after multiple shots are fired. Columbia police responded to Currituck Lane and Bodie Drive just after 2:15 p.m. Police on scene said multiple suspects fired eight to ten shots at a home on Greenboro Drive. Police said as the suspects drove away, a neighbor confronted the car.

After a dry day Saturday storm chances will return to end the weekend. A cold front will approach Missouri by Sunday morning and move through Sunday evening. A few isolated storms ahead of the front will be possible north of I-70 during the morning. The better chance of storms will come during the afternoon as

The Cooper County Sheriff’s Department began looking for 31-year-old Sarah Nicholls, of Boonville, Saturday at noon. After nearly five hours of search efforts, the woman’s body was recovered just before 5 p.m. near Red Bud Road in Moniteau County. Nicholls was reported missing Friday morning by her family. She had been camping with her male

Torrance Chatman, 27, of Osage Beach, has been identified as the person who drowned Friday night at the Lake of the Ozarks. The Missouri State Highway Patrol tells ABC 17 News they received a call Friday evening around 6:30 p.m. about Chatman struggling to stay afloat near Catfish Cove. Chatman voluntarily jumped from a boat

The University of Missouri Police Department is investigating a strong armed-robbery Friday evening near Hitt and Rollins Streets. A person reported being assaulted by three black males. One of the suspects is described as between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 tall. The University of Missouri Police Department is investigating the case. They’re asking people

ABC 17 News has learned more information about a man accused of being a part of a Boone County synthetic pot operation. ABC 17 News reported Thursday that the owner of Mari’s gas station in Boone County, Rafiqul Kahn, was federally indicted for his alleged role in a conspiracy to sell synthetic marijuana. We’ve now

Friday’s Supreme Court decision did not come as a surprise to Boone County Recorder of Deeds Nora Dietzel. She said her office has been preparing for this decision and had already updated its marriage application in anticipation of the ruling. “We had already implemented small changes in our software, like removing the bride and groom

A mid-Missouri city will now seek a new mayor. On Friday, Lucas Fitzpatrick announced he would resign as mayor of Holts Summit. The city’s Board of Alderman has been notified about Fitzpatrick’s decision. Fitzpatrick was elected mayor in April 2010. He was re-elected in the following 2012 and 2014 elections. In a letter presented to

The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirms the Division of Drug and Crime Control is investigating a trooper-involved shooting in Fulton. MSHP told ABC 17 News a trooper attempted to make a traffic stop on a car on eastbound I-70 in Kingdom City just after 10:30 p.m. Thursday. ABC 17 News is told there were three

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department is warning mid-Missouri residents about a telephone scam. Boone County citizens have reported receiving phone calls from con artists who claim they’re with a legitimate business, charities or government agencies. Scammers have also called people about fake arrest warrants that were issued for non-payment of income taxes or for not

Saturday looks like the nicest day of the weekend with high temperatures near 80, lower humidity, partly sunny skies and northerly winds near 10 mph in the afternoon. Saturday night will be pleasant with low temperatures dropping to near 60. Sunday starts off mostly sunny but clouds will move in late in the day as

On Friday the court appointed Cooper County Prosecutor Doug Abele as the special prosecutor in April’s deadly shooting in the MU Hitt Street parking garage in Columbia. Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight filed a motion Friday, requesting a special prosecutor. Knight’s motion noted the two officers who discharged their firearms inside the garage have been