Court and Trials Archives

Boone County prosecutors drop murder charge for man accused in fatal downtown shooting

January 28, 2021 2:55 PM Matt Ragsdale

Boone County prosecutors have dropped a murder charge against a man accused in the killing of a Sturgeon man in July 2020.

U.S. appeals court sides with Missouri state representative in case over Twitter account

January 27, 2021 3:42 PM Matt Ragsdale

The US 8th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a Mid-Missouri State Representative on Wednesday in a case over her Twitter account.

Appeals court rejects prosecutor’s appeal in McCloskey case

January 21, 2021 3:33 PM Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri appeals court has rejected a second appeal by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner challenging her removal as prosecutor against Mark McCloskey, who along with his wife, Patricia, pointed weapons at racial injustice protesters last year. Gardner argued the disqualification of her and her office from Mark McCloskey’s case

Hermann woman charged after allegedly stealing over $360,000 from Rhineland business

January 20, 2021 9:55 PM Karl Wehmhoener

RHINELAND, Mo. (KMIZ) A Hermann woman is accused of stealing $360,000 from the bank account for The Corner Restaurant Bar and Grill in Rhineland where she was a manager. According to the probable cause statement, the owner spoke to Katie Muenks about financial irregularities from the business’s bank account. The owner said that Muenks and

Kansas City payday lender pleads guilty to bankruptcy fraud

January 20, 2021 3:36 PM Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The co-owner of a one-time Kansas City payday lending company has pleaded guilty to a bankruptcy fraud count related to his 2015 personal bankruptcy, in which prosecutors say he hid more than $1 million in assets. The Kansas City Star reports that 53-year-old Del Kimball pleaded guilty Tuesday and faces

Father of Benton County child killed given bond

January 19, 2021 10:08 AM Lucas Geisler

WARSAW, Mo. (KMIZ) The father of a Benton County 4-year-old killed in December will have the chance to get out of jail ahead of trial. Judge Mark Pilley set a $500,000 cash or surety bond for James Mast, 28, at a Tuesday morning hearing. The bond allows Mast to pay just 10 percent of the

Chariton County man charged with sex assault in after November incident

January 19, 2021 8:24 PM Karl Wehmhoener

KEYTESVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) A Keytesville man is charged with multiple counts after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl. According to court documents, Phineas Schrock was staying the night in Nov. 2020 at a home in Keytesville when he entered the bedroom of the 15-year-old and got into bed with the victim. The victim told

Missouri law raising adult age for crimes to 18 not used

January 19, 2021 5:52 PM Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Most county prosecutors in Missouri are not following a new law that raised the age for being charged as an adult to 18. The law took effect on Jan. 1 but the Missouri Legislature did not provide funding for juvenile services to handle an influx of new cases caused by

Clinton man pleads guilty after chase kills bystander

January 15, 2021 4:27 PM Associated Press

SEDALIA, Mo. (AP) — A 27-year-old Clinton man will be sentenced in March for second-degree murder after a police chase ended with a bystander’s death. Westley Reid pleaded guilty this week in the death of 27-year-old Zachary Hancock Bottom of Sedalia on March 1. Police say Reid was driving a stolen vehicle out of Henry

Jefferson City man sentenced to life in prison for 2017 murder

January 14, 2021 9:58 AM Matt Ragsdale

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green sentenced Jeffery Millens to life in prison on Wednesday after he was convicted of murder in October.

Court OKs 1st federal execution of female inmate in 67 years

January 12, 2021 11:47 PM Associated Press

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Justice Department to carry out the first execution of a female death-row inmate in almost seven decades. The rulings, handed down just after midnight on Wednesday, allow the federal Bureau of Prisons to proceed with the execution of Lisa Montgomery.

Former Mizzou assistant football coach sues over contract dispute

January 12, 2021 5:52 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former assistant coach for the University of Missouri football team claims the school still owes him money following his departure. Derek Dooley filed a lawsuit in Boone County claiming the university must still pay him a year’s worth of his salary under the terms of his contract. The university hired Dooley

Woman set to die for killing woman, cutting baby from womb

January 11, 2021 3:38 PM Associated Press

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A woman who killed a pregnant woman, cut a baby from her womb and then passed off the newborn as her own is set to die for the crime. Lisa Montgomery would be the first woman executed by the federal government in some six decades if her execution happens as scheduled

Lawyers: Woman on US death row not competent for execution

January 8, 2021 8:38 PM Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for the only woman on federal death row are asking a judge to halt her execution and arguing she isn’t competent and can’t be put to death. Lisa Montgomery is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Her lawyers filed a petition Friday

St. Louis prosecutor’s appeal in McCloskey case turned away

January 8, 2021 3:27 PM Associated Press

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri appeals court has denied St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s appeal challenging the disqualification of her office from prosecuting Mark McCloskey who, along with his wife, drew guns on racial injustice protesters last summer. The decision Friday upholds Judge Thomas Clark II’s ruling last month that removed Gardner and

How video of an officer-involved shooting in Jefferson City could impact investigation

January 5, 2021 6:55 PM Connor Hirsch

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) As cell phones and other forms of video become increasingly more common in investigations, law enforcement and legal experts say it can play a crucial role in finding out what truly happened. After an officer-involved shooting in Jefferson City left a Columbia man dead Sunday, a viewer sent ABC 17 News

Suspects in Benton County child murder case appear in court

January 5, 2021 10:15 AM Lucas Geisler

Three of the four people facing criminal charges for the death of a 4-year-old Benton County girl appeared in court Tuesday morning.

Jefferson City Schools appeals ruling to rehire employee

January 4, 2021 1:36 PM ABC 17 News Team

Jefferson City Schools is appealing to the Missouri Supreme Court after an appeals court ruled last month that the district must rehire an administrator accused of putting private student information at risk.

Moberly man charged with multiple counts of harassing and stalking

December 31, 2020 10:50 PM Karl Wehmhoener

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Randolph County man is charged with multiple counts of harassment and stalking after multiple reports beginning in October. According to court documents, Jerry Fifer has allegedly repeatedly talked to the victims and accusing them of calling the police on him. Court documents state that Fifer also would park to intentionally try

Two teens sentenced in Mexico man’s death

December 30, 2020 9:00 PM Karl Wehmhoener

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ) Two teens were sentenced earlier Wednesday in the shooting death of a man in Mexico. Demetric Dorsey, 17, was sentenced to 10 years on one count of 1st-degree involuntary manslaughter and 15 years on one count of armed criminal action. Those sentences will run concurrent with each other. Trebion Dorsey, 17, was