Woman accused of murder to appear in court
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated. The victim has yet to be identified by officials.
BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A 20-year-old woman accused of murder is expected to appear in court on Friday at 1 p.m. in the Boone County Courthouse.
Emma Adams is charged with murder after an "unidentifiable" man was found dead in a fire pit on Tuesday. Adams was initially scheduled to be in court Thursday, but that hearing was put on hold after she refused to leave her cell in the Boone County Jail.
The investigation started when University of Missouri police officers were sent to Hudson Hall at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday for a welfare check, which led them to the 2400 block of Bentley Court in north Columbia. Officers found the body there and called Columbia police for a homicide investigation, according to a Columbia Police Department social media post.
Adams is charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with evidence, and abandoning a corpse.
Former Boone County Prosecutor Bill Tackett tells ABC 17 News, her refusal to appear in court is, "a technical irregularity within our case of the law." Tackett says the judge will likely require Adams to appear in person to complete the arraignment.
However, if Adams refuses to appear in court again, making it impossible for the judge to read her charges or enter a plea, a mental examination will be given.
