Woman accused of killing MU student, burning body committed to Department of Mental Health
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A woman who was accused of killing a University of Missouri student and burning the body in January has been committed to the Department of Mental Health, according to court documents.
Emma Adams, 21, was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence and abandoning a corpse. Her next hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 13, 2024.
Adams appeared in court Monday by video from the jail. The judge granted an unopposed motion to commit. The director of the department is to report if Adams is competent enough to stand trial within six months, according to court documents. She is still listed on the Boone County Jail roster, as of Tuesday afternoon.
Adams was arrested and charged in January after an investigation that started at the University of Missouri and led to police finding a burning body in a residential area far from campus.
The investigation started when University of Missouri police officers were sent to Hudson Hall at about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11 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 allegedly told police she stabbed Clemons in self-defense. Police initially couldn't identify the body because of its condition. Adams has been held on a $1 million bond since her arrest.
