City of Columbia and University of Missouri leadership have held multiple meetings to discuss public safety since a downtown shooting in the fall focused attention on violent crime. But some Columbia City Council members are asking why the meetings can’t be opened up to the public. Meetings so far have taken place with only part
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Hawthorn Bank has asked a Cole County judge to toss out a lawsuit filed by a group last week that sought to block the land auction of a piece of land. Gary Scheperle, Mark Knapp, Tony Porter, Steve Brandt, Gary Bemboom, Tony Brenneke and Charles Steck sued the bank on Friday, claiming
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) One of the three adults charged with felony murder in shooting death of Michael Ryan Burke was given a bond on Thursday, court filings show. Alexis Baumann, 18, of Hallsville, saw her bond reduced to $50,000 on Thursday and is eligible for home detention. She is charged with first-degree robbery, two counts
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department is investigating a death that occurred Thursday near Vandiver Drive and Paris Road. CPD spokesman Colin Imhoff confirmed that officers are investigating a death. The Columbia Police Dispatch Six-Hour log shows that an “assist medic” call was made to the 2400 block of Vandiver Drive at 11:02 a.m.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Some of Columbia’s political leaders are hopeful the public can be more involved in discussions surrounding public safety. The city had at least three meetings that included University of Missouri officials in 2025 in an effort to curb crime after the shooting death of Aiyanna Williams in September 2025. Another meeting is
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who was wanted for child sex crimes in Wyoming was booked into the Miller County Jail on Tuesday. Ellis Martin Bay, 43, of Marys Home, Missouri, was charged in Miller County with being a fugitive from out of state. He is being held without bond. He is charged in Campbell
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three people, including two teenagers, were seriously injured in a Wednesday night crash on Route Y in Pettis County, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The crash occurred as a 15-year-old boy from Sedalia tried to pass a 2011 BMW 328 with a 2012 Audi A4, the report says.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Officials in Pima County, Arizona, gave an update Thursday afternoon on the investigation in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. Guthrie is the mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie. Watch a replay of the full news conference in the media player.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday against MSHSAA in the Eastern District Court of Missouri. Hanaway accuses the Missouri State High School Activities Association of two counts of unlawful race and sex discrimination, unlawful discriminating with respect to conditions of employment and discriminatory protection of the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The defense attorney for the woman who was found not guilty of a Dunklin County arson case said he was pleased with the outcome. Crystal Umfress, who owned Casa Maria’s in Columbia, was found not guilty of second-degree arson in a Butler County courtroom Tuesday night. Umfress was accused in 2023 of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man pleaded guilty to a federal gun offense Tuesday in Jefferson City, according to a Wednesday press release from the Department of Justice. Gerrell Lawrence, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal gun possession. He is currently being held at the Cole County Jail. The release says he admitted
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Parents of a Virginia man killed in a 2018 online sale meet up turned shooting say they were moved to put up billboards promoting ‘safe online exchanges’ after a Columbia man was killed in a similar way. Michael and Diane Grey tell ABC 17 News that they knew they needed to take
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) More than six years have passed since James Hickem was shot to death in a north Columbia neighborhood, and police have yet to obtain any key evidence in his case. Officers responded to the scene in the 600 block of McBaine Avenue at 8:13 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2019. Police found a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A grand jury indictment was filed on Tuesday in Cole County against a man accused of shooting and killing a man on Jan. 9. Malcolm Mayes, 29, of Jefferson City, is charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and single counts of unlawful use of a weapon, illegal gun
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former West Middle School teacher who was charged with several child sex crimes last month was given a home-detention order after he received a bond. Zachary Hutchinson, 38, of Columbia, was charged on Jan. 21 in Boone County with three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, one count of child enticement, sexually
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A military jury found an Army specialist guilty of a Fort Leonard Wood murder on Wednesday. The jury convicted Specialist Wooster Rancy of murder and obstruction of justice after a week-long trial in Pulaski County, according to Army trial counsel spokesperson Michelle McCaskill. The trial will head to a sentencing phase,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former Pettis County deputy who shot and killed a 25-year-old Sedalia woman in June 2020 had his child pornography case moved from Pettis County to Cooper County on Wednesday. Jordan Schutte, 40, of Sedalia, is charged with child porn possession and first-degree promoting child porn. He is being held at the Miller County
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A motion was filed on Friday seeking to move a teenager accused in a January 2025 Columbia shooting to the Boone County Jail. Samiyon Myers, 16, of Columbia, is charged with first-degree assault, delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman who was accused of arson in Dunklin County was found not guilty of the charge. Crystal Umfress, who owned Casa Maria’s in Columbia, was found not guilty of her second-degree arson charge, her attorney Russell Oliver told ABC 17 News on Tuesday night. She was accused of hiring Kerry Raymond
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Several billboards in Mid-Missouri are promoting safer online exchanges. Viewers may see those billboards from the group “Justice For Joshua Grey” across the area. Grey died in a 2018 Virginia shooting after setting up the sale of a cellphone on the internet. The new billboards in Missouri come after Michael Ryan Burke was
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