Crime

Appeals court upholds conviction of man found guilty of rape

Francis Kempker — Missouri Department of Corrections

By Ryan Shiner

Published September 22, 2026 8:49 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An appeals court in Missouri’s western district upheld the conviction of a Cole County man who is serving two life sentences after he was found guilty of raping women.

Francis H. Kempker, 55, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole for two rapes committed during spring 2016 at his Centertown shop, previous reporting shows.

He was convicted of first-degree rape in April 2024.

Kempker was accused of bailing women out of jail and then raping them.

He was also found guilty of drug possession in 2023.

Article Topic Follows: Crime

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Ryan Shiner

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