Crime Archives

Change of judge granted in Elledge child abuse case

December 5, 2019 6:17 PM Matthew Sanders

Lawyers for a Columbia man accused of child abuse and suspected in his wife’s disappearance have asked for a change of judge.

Jefferson City murder suspect moved from Cole County Jail to prison

December 5, 2019 7:36 PM Katie Greathouse

A man accused of killing two people in Jefferson City on Thanksgiving is in prison, according to Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler. Wheeler said Torry Upchurch, 27, is no longer in Cole County’s custody. He is now back in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections because of a parole warrant, Wheeler said. According

Autopsy: 2 Moberly inmates died from overdose

December 5, 2019 12:41 PM Associated Press

A medical examiner says drug overdoses killed two inmates who died within hours of each other in early October at the Moberly Correctional Center.

Teen arrested, charged in alleged sexual assault on MU campus

December 5, 2019 12:15 PM Madison Fleck

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri Police Department was investigating an alleged sexual assault that occurred in an MU residence hall. Justin C. Clark, 19, of St. Charles, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree sodomy. Police were originally alerted to the incident on Wednesday, but the assault allegedly happened early Tuesday morning

Dive teams enter third day of search for missing Columbia woman

December 4, 2019 10:24 AM Zach Boetto

Divers continued their search of the Lamine River for a missing Columbia woman on Wednesday.

$1.1 million worth of THC cartridges found in Cooper County traffic stop

December 5, 2019 8:05 AM Madison Fleck

EDITOR’S NOTE: The article has been changed to note charges against one man were dropped. COOPER COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri State Highway Patrol said it found about $1.1 million worth of THC vaping cartridges during a traffic stop in Cooper County on Wednesday. An SUV was stopped for crossing the centerline on I-70 last

Divers enter day four in search for missing Columbia mom

December 5, 2019 5:19 AM Brittany Wiley

The search for a missing Columbia mom will continue for a fourth day Thursday on the Lamine River.

Victim of attempted murder-suicide dies two weeks after shooting

December 4, 2019 3:07 PM Sydney Olsen

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) A woman who was the victim of a Columbia shooting on Nov. 15 died last week. The Columbia Police Department responded to the 2800 block of Jacobs Place on Friday at about 5:20 p.m. and found Asia L. Plagman, 22, unresponsive, according to city spokesman Brian Adkisson. Plagman was taken to the

Cole County man faces several charges after November chase

December 4, 2019 8:06 PM Matt Ragsdale

COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Cole County prosecutors charged a man with drug possession after county deputies said he led authorities on a chase in November. Ben Bates, 27, of Lohman was arrested and charged Monday. Court documents say Bates drove on the wrong side of the road after pulling out of a dollar store parking

Boone County prosecutor: No body needed to file murder charges

December 4, 2019 12:33 PM Molly Stawinoga

Boone County’s head prosecutor said Wednesday that murder convictions can be won without a body, as divers continued their search for a missing Columbia woman in the Lamine River.

Court documents: Child fought off rape attempt in Callaway County

December 4, 2019 5:12 PM Matt Ragsdale

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ) Callaway County prosecutors charged a Fulton man with second-degree child molestation after he allegedly tried to rape a child who fought him off. Carl Martin, 38, was arrested Tuesday by Callaway County sheriff’s deputies. He’s accused of trying to have sex with a child younger than 12 years old. Court documents say

Fulton Police release name of weekend shooting victim

December 4, 2019 4:17 PM Matt Ragsdale

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ) Fulton Police said Wednesday Thomas Payne, 23, of Fulton was the victim of a shooting early Saturday morning. A release from the police department shows officers were called to the 600 block of Jefferson Street around 3 a.m. on a report of a shooting. Police said Payne was found at the residence

Fire chief speaks about difficulty of dive search for missing woman

December 3, 2019 7:00 PM Sydney Olsen

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Divers with the Mid-Missouri Sheriff’s Dive Team continued their search for missing Columbia woman Mengqi Elledge Tuesday. They have been searching the Lamine River in Cooper County. They first searched the area on Nov. 26. Jack Brade is chief of the Regional West Fire Protection District. He did not assist in the

Columbia police ‘confident’ in search for missing woman

December 3, 2019 5:27 AM Brittany Wiley

The Mid-Missouri Sheriff’s Dive Team and Columbia Police Department will continue their search for a missing Columbia woman Tuesday.

Police release photos of suspect in smoke shop robbery

December 3, 2019 12:13 PM ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department released photos on Tuesday of the suspect accused of robbing a local smoke shop. The Columbia Police Department said in a news release that a man entered We B Smokin, 2716 Paris Road, at about 1 p.m. Monday and damaged a countertop coin-operated machine with a “large hammer”

CPD works to purge backlog of evidence

December 2, 2019 5:34 PM Sydney Olsen

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia City Council voted Monday to allow the police department to move funds from a project to pay salaries for two part-time employees. The Columbia Police Department is working to purge a backlog of evidence and enter municipal warrants into a statewide system. The department already has two part-time employees working

3 arrested in Camden County drug bust

December 2, 2019 9:41 PM Alec Pettus

Darrin HopkinsRussell StammMary Hill The Camden County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group executed a search warrant early Sunday morning, according to a press release from the Camden County Sheriff’s Office. It happened at a home in Linn Creek. Authorities said they found around 56 grams of meth, 24 grams of hallucinogenic

Woman accused of arson pleads guilty to lesser charges

December 2, 2019 9:32 PM Katie Greathouse

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman accused of setting a fire in July 2018 pleaded guilty to lesser charges Monday. Boone County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jennifer Rodewald confirmed Tammy Nevels pleaded guilty to delivery or possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree assault. Court documents filed in 2018 said Nevels used a lighter to set a

Columbia police seek help in smoke shop robbery

December 2, 2019 5:47 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Police are asking for help identifying the person who stole money after damaging a machine in a northeast Columbia smoke shop. The Columbia Police Department said in a news release that a man entered We B Smokin, 2716 Paris Road, at about 1 p.m. Monday and damaged a countertop coin-operated machine with

Woman charged for refusing to leave Columbia tree during trail protest

December 2, 2019 3:24 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Boone County prosecutor filed charges Monday against a woman who staged a weeklong protest by camping in a tree. Susan Fourcade, 67, also known as Sutu Forte, is charged with one count of misdemeanor trespassing. Forte was camped on a platform in a tree off Bluff Dale Drive to stop the