Judge recuses himself from Jefferson City murder case

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The judge in a Jefferson City murder case has recused himself from presiding over the case on Thursday.

Judge Cotton Walker recused himself from the murder case involving Sergio Sayles. A new judge has yet to be assigned, according to Casenet.

Sayles, 36, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, evidence tampering, first-degree harassment and first-degree stalking in the death of his child’s mother. Cole County’s top prosecutor in April filed an intent to seek the death penalty.

Sayles is accused of stabbing Jasmine King to death. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.

According to previous reporting, police found the woman, Jasmine King, dead from stab wounds to her head, face, neck, torso and back in her home Monday in the 300 block of West Ashley Street after King's family called police for a well-being check, according to a probable cause statement. Sayles gave inconsistent stories about where he was Monday afternoon and he denied killing King, according to the statement.

Sayles and King have a toddler child together.

Witness statements and surveillance video connected Sayles to the crime scene, according to court documents. Police also recovered the murder weapon and some of Sayles's belongings in a trash bag at McClung Park, where surveillance cameras captured Sayles sitting in his vehicle around the time of King's death, according to the probable cause statement.