COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County jury suggested sentencing a Holts Summit woman convicted of murder to up to decades in prison on Friday. The jury deliberated the sentence of Heather Smith, 38, on a change of venue from Callaway County. She was convicted on five criminal counts on Thursday, including felony murder. Smith was
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Even with hundreds of witness statements, Columbia Police criminal investigator Lt. Matt Gremore says 17 years later that no clear suspect has been identified in the death of 49-year-old Mark Dailey. “To this day, we have no idea who the suspect is or even what the motive was for the killing,” Gremore
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Holts Summit woman has been found guilty of felony murder in the 2025 shooting death of 37-year-old Kara Dills. Heather Smith, 38, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of second-degree murder, known as felony murder. The jury also turned in a guilty verdict for three counts of unlawful use
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) On a chilly January day in 2009, a hiker found skeletal remains at a homeless encampment near a trailway behind the Conley Road Walmart in Columbia. Officers began their investigation on Jan. 7. By April 20, with the help of forensic anthropology experts from the University of Missouri, police were able to
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Following testimonies from neighbors and her own children, 38-year-old murder suspect Heather Smith took to the witness stand Wednesday. Smith is accused of the 2025 deadly shooting of 37-year-old Kara Dills at Hunter Lane Apartments in April 2025. She claims the shooting was in self-defense. Smith faces charges of second-degree murder, child endangerment,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The state presented more witness testimony Tuesday as the jury trial for a deadly 2025 Holts Summit shooting continues. This testimony included new information on both Smith’s retelling of events and the whereabouts of Dills’ gun following the shooting. A 12-person jury was picked Monday to decide the fate of 38-year-old Heather
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BOONVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cooper County judge denied bond for the leader of a “cult-like” Amish community after new charges, including manslaughter, were filed against him this week. Sam Shetler, 42, of Boonville, appeared Tuesday in front of Judge Keith Bail after the new charges were added for a previously scheduled bond reduction hearing. Bail
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 16-year-old boy will face the adult criminal justice system after he was charged with murder and other crimes Tuesday in connection with a robbery and shooting last June. Deshawn D. Brown of Columbia was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and second-degree murder in the killing of Zarian Simpson.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman who reached a deal with the state to drop a manslaughter charge for a deadly Columbia hit-and-run crash was sentenced to a short jail stay and probation Tuesday. Judge Ben Miller sentenced Elizabeth Lopez to seven years in prison on three hit-and-run charges, but the judge suspended the sentence, with
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Holts Summit woman charged with a slew of felonies, including murder, for a shooting outside an apartment building will not go to trial this week. Heather Smith’s trial on child endangerment, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and second-degree murder charges had been scheduled to start Friday, but was
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Pulaski County woman has been charged with murder after allegedly killing her boyfriend on Friday. Lea Ann Barba, 42, was charged Friday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Court documents state deputies were called to a home near Dixon on Friday afternoon for an unresponsive person after a gun was
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County judge denied a bond amendment Friday for the first man arrested in connection with a deadly Columbia shooting earlier this week. Damarius Kavanaugh, 19, of Columbia, was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, illegal gun possession and tampering with physical evidence after William Riechers, 20, of Columbia, was
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) EDITOR’S NOTE: The charges against Kavanaugh have been corrected. A 19-year-old felon has been arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of a 20-year-old on Wednesday in central Columbia. Damarius Kavanaugh, of Columbia, was charged with felony murder, armed criminal action and illegal gun possession after William Riechers of Columbia was found
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Nearly 15 years after his death, Columbia Police are still trying to piece together the last 12 hours of Timothy Jones’ life. A jogger found the 43-year-old Columbia man just after 9:30 a.m. Dec. 20, 2011, at the end of White Oak Lane in Columbia near the MKT trail connector entrance. “He
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 2000 Columbia murder suspect may not be brought back to Boone County for another month, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Sentrell Wilson, 45, of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, is charged with first-degree murder in Boone County for the 2000 death of University of Missouri student Candace Richie. Wilson was
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Editor’s note: The child’s uncle at the bottom of the piece has been correctly identified. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a reduced charge in a 3-year-old’s shooting death. Kevin L. Brownlee Jr., 31, pleaded guilty to first-degree involuntary manslaughter, avoiding a murder
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Police suspect a Columbia teen who was charged as an adult with murder Friday could have fired a gun into the victim’s vehicle, according to a probable cause statement. Rodney Moore Jr., 16, is charged with second-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action in the death of 18-year-old Zarian Simpson
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman jailed in Cole County on suspicion of murder has drawn the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Denita Jackson, 27, is a Lincoln University student and track team sprinter who is originally from Guyana, in South America. She was arrested and charged this week with second-degree murder and armed
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An Osage County shooting that killed a man nearly two weeks ago happened during an argument over an extramarital affair, according to a probable cause statement. Clayton E. Johnson of Bland was charged Wednesday with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the Feb. 13 shooting that led to the death
Continue Reading EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used in background research for this article. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Lincoln University student-athlete accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death had her initial court appearance moved to Friday morning. Denita Jackson, a senior sprinter for the school, is accused of killing 23-year-old Kevaughn Goldson, also a senior sprinter, during
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