Boone County man accused of murder after allegedly assaulting woman on Christmas

Editor's note: The age of the victim was updated after the press release from law enforcement was updated.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County man was charged on Friday with murder and other felonies after he allegedly assaulted a woman on Christmas.

Jeffrey Edward Skaggs, 38, of Columbia, was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree domestic assault and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Skaggs was arrested on Friday and is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail. A court date has not been set. The victim’s name was not included in court documents.

According to the probable cause statement and a social media post from the sheriff's office, Boone County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at 12:30 a.m. Dec. 25 in the in the 6000 block of East O'Rear Road.

The Paramedics and deputies arrived and found Skaggs with the dead victim, according to the probable cause statement. The Boone County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Friday night social media post that first responders performed CPR on a 41-year-old woman, but was she unable to be resuscitated. The sheriff's office stated that Skaggs and the woman were in a relationship.

Skaggs allegedly admitted to assaulting the woman moments before she died, according to court documents. Deputies say a video recording from the victim’s cellphone showed part of the assault, which allegedly showed Skaggs assaulting the woman while she was holding her 1-year-old child.

"Probable cause was developed to believe the victim’s death was a direct result of being assaulted by Skaggs," the post reads.

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