Court and Trials Archives

Columbia man expected to plead guilty in Planned Parenthood arson case

November 12, 2019 3:24 PM Matthew Sanders

A Columbia man will plead guilty after he was charged with setting fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic.

Elledge denied bond reduction in child abuse case

November 12, 2019 10:19 AM Madison Fleck

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The husband of a Columbia missing woman was denied a bond reduction on Tuesday after last week’s hearing in his child abuse case. Joseph Elledge’s bond was set at $500,000. According to a Boone County Judge’s order, if Elledge posts his bond, he will not be allowed to have contact with any

Vigil for Columbia woman held one month after she was reported missing

November 9, 2019 3:43 PM Connor Hirsch

Friends and family of a missing Columbia woman gathered for a vigil Saturday, one month after she was reported missing by her husband, who is now the prime suspect in her disappearance. Mengqi Ji Elledge, 28, went missing Oct. 8. Her husband, Joseph Elledge reported her missing a day and a half after she allegedly

Man accused of September armed robbery arrested

November 8, 2019 11:15 PM Matt Ragsdale

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County prosecutors charged a man suspected of a Sept. 18 armed robbery at a Columbia gas station. David Slaughter faces a charge of first-degree robbery in the case. He was booked into the Boone County jail Friday. Court documents say Slaughter handed a note to a worker at the Midwest Petroleum

Man charged in Boone County accused of sexual contact with a child

November 8, 2019 7:14 PM Alec Pettus

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County prosecutors charged Zechariah Williams on Thursday with statutory sodomy of a person younger than 12 years old. According to court documents, investigators interviewed the victim, who detailed the alleged assault. The probable cause statements says Williams blew marijuana smoke into the child’s mouth. Documents show the incident happened in central

Springfield man pleads guilty in Jefferson City school bus shooting

November 8, 2019 12:16 PM Madison Fleck

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Springfield man pleaded guilty on Nov. 1 in a 2016 shooting involving a Jefferson City school bus. Jermaine Gray pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. He was originally charged with assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. The Jefferson City School District bus was full

Columbia man pleads guilty to illegally having guns after chase

November 7, 2019 6:52 PM Alec Pettus

James Sander Jr. James Sanders Jr., 31, pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of felony possession of a firearm, according to the United States Attorney Office of the Western District. According to the court, in July 2018, authorities arrested Sanders two different times. One of those arrests occurred while he was allegedly riding a stolen

Short-term arrangement reached in custody battle over missing woman’s child

November 7, 2019 11:53 AM Connor Hirsch

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The attorney for the parents of a missing Columbia woman said Thursday they have reached a “very limited, short term agreement” in the custody battle over their grandchild. Mengqi Elledge’s and the family of her husband, Joseph Elledge, are each trying to get custody of the couple’s daughter. A set of hearings

Miller County RV park named in wrongful death lawsuit

November 6, 2019 9:00 PM Matt Ragsdale

ELDON, Mo. (KMIZ) A wrongful death lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Circuit Court of Miller County accuses the owner of an Eldon RV park of causing a woman’s death. The court document shows Robert Vanbarneveld filed the lawsuit after his wife Tisha Vanbarneveld died on June 16. The couple were at Shorewood Landing Waterfront RV

Demonstrations tied to custody battle continue outside Boone County Courthouse

November 5, 2019 4:15 PM Matthew Sanders

Several demonstrators supporting one side of a custody dispute related to a Columbia woman’s disappearance were outside the Boone County Courthouse for the second straight day Tuesday. A few people held signs in support of a bid by Mengqi Ji Elledge’s parents to get custody of Elledge’s daughter. Elledge went missing Oct. 8 and her

Supporters gather outside Boone County Courthouse in custody battle over missing woman’s daughter

November 4, 2019 8:02 AM Madison Fleck

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A group supporting the family of a missing woman as they seek custody of her daughter gathered Monday outside the Boone County Courthouse while a judge heard arguments inside. Roughly 116 people also signed a letter sent to Boone County judge Stephanie Morrell telling her to award custody of Anna Elledge to

Man charged in Boone County accused of shooting at two people

November 4, 2019 3:32 PM Matt Ragsdale

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County prosecutors charged a man with several felonies after court documents say he fired a gun at two people on Sunday. Terrance Johnson was accused of a shooting at a north Columbia apartment building in the 2000 block of Newton around 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Court documents say two witnesses accused Johnson

ABC 17 News anchor arrested on suspicion of DWI

October 27, 2019 4:04 PM Matthew Sanders

A member of ABC 17’s news staff has been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. A Columbia police officer arrested news anchor Joey Parker late Saturday night after a minor crash involving only Parker’s vehicle. He’s also facing a possible charge for making an illegal U-turn. Parker was booked into the Boone County

Man charged in death involving Bobcat skid steer

October 31, 2019 11:37 AM Madison Fleck

COOPER COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Clarksburg man was charged on Wednesday after he was allegedly involved in the August death of Dylan Kramel, 20. Kramel was in the bucket of a Bobcat skid steer that Rowles was driving on Aug. 6 when Rowles hit a pot hole, and Kramel was ejected from the bucket. The skid steer then

Charges pending in Boone County DWI case

October 31, 2019 7:51 PM Sydney Olsen

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) One man is suffering from life-threatening injuries after a crash in Boone County on Wednesday. Jamey E. Sheppard, 42, of Columbia was taken to University Hospital after the vehicle he was driving crashed head-on with a vehicle Travis W. Mechlin, 30, of Columbia was driving. Columbia police arrested Mechlin on suspicion of

Court upholds Fotoohighiam settlement ruling

October 30, 2019 9:42 PM Abbey Lamb

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County Judge has upheld a previous court ruling involving a Columbia businessman. Mehrdad Fotoohighiam was ordered to pay $250,000 in actual damages and $2,500,000 in punitive damages for his involvement in a 2014 Columbia arson. The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District affirmed a lower court ruling that Fotoohighiam was

Former Columbia College volleyball coach files lawsuit against school

October 30, 2019 9:23 PM Matt Ragsdale

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former Columbia College volleyball coach filed a lawsuit against the school after she claimed she was the victim of discrimination. Melinda Wrye-Washington coached the volleyball team from 2000 until March. In that time, Wrye-Washington led the team to a pair of national championship wins and took the team to the NAIA tournament every

New details in death of 4-year-old after woman now charged with murder

October 30, 2019 12:21 PM Connor Hirsch

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A grand jury indictment says a woman accused in the death of a 4-year-old Jefferson City boy caused his death by hitting and smothering him. A Cole County grand jury on Tuesday indicted Quatavia Givens with second-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse or neglect resulting in

Prosecutor charges suspect in Darnell Gray case with murder

October 29, 2019 9:05 PM Katie Greathouse

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson filed a murder charge against the woman suspected in the death of 4-year-old Darnell Gray. Thompson filed a superceding indictment Tuesday. Online court records show Quatavia Givens is charged with second-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse or neglect resulting in death.

Missouri Supreme Court denies university’s request to rehear graduate worker case

October 29, 2019 10:45 PM ABC 17 News Team

The Missouri Supreme Court denied the University of Missouri’s request to rehear the appeals court decision that graduate workers are employees. The university asked the Supreme Court to hear the case last month. In its decision, which was filed Tuesday, the court denied the request. The Missouri Western District Court of Appeals issued a notice