Missing Person Archives

AMBER alert canceled after Hillsdale child found safe

March 4, 2020 11:23 PM Katie Greathouse

The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued an AMBER alert Wednesday night for a potential abduction in Hillsdale, which is in the St. Louis area.

Friend of missing Columbia woman speaks out about disappearance

February 21, 2020 9:08 AM Joe McLean

Less than a month before Mengqi Ji went missing in October, the Columbia mother called her friend, Muzhen Li, to complain about a fight she was having with her husband, Joseph Elledge.

Court documents reveal additional details of days leading to Mengqi Ji Elledge disappearance

February 20, 2020 9:35 AM Madison Fleck

New court documents suggest Joseph Elledge might have killed his wife under the pretense of giving her a massage.

Crews continue search for missing mother 3 months after disappearance

January 8, 2020 2:19 PM Connor Hirsch

COOPER COUNTY, Mo. Authorities were at the Lamine River Wednesday continuing their efforts to find Mengqi Ji Elledge three months after her disappearance. On Wednesday, ABC17 crews saw a team of five people go out on a boat upstream around 12:30 p.m. It appeared divers were a part of that team. The search continued until

Authorities return to search for Mengqi Ji Elledge

January 7, 2020 4:22 PM Zach Boetto

Law enforcement agencies returned to the De Bourgmont Lamine River Access on Tuesday, to search for the missing Columbia mother. The Columbia Police Department along with the Columbia Fire Department and a team of divers took a CFD boat east from the access point on the Lamine River. A CPD detective said this is not

Crews continuing search for Mengqi Ji Elledge

January 3, 2020 5:07 PM Matt Ragsdale

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department confirmed Friday officers are continuing their search for Mengqi Ji Elledge, who’s been missing since October. CPD spokesman Jeff Pitts said officers will start the search for Elledge on the Lamine River in Cooper County. Pitts could not say what day the search will start again. A photo

Joseph Elledge pleads not guilty to three felony charges.

Husband of missing woman pleads not guilty to child abuse, endangerment

December 23, 2019 4:00 PM Molly Stawinoga

Joseph Elledge, the husband of missing Columbia mother Mengqi Ji, pleaded not guilty to three felony charges.

Matthew Beauchamp was reported missing in April.

Sheriffs: Human remains found, believed to belong to missing Mexico man

December 21, 2019 6:36 PM Barry Mangold

A body was found Saturday morning and two Missouri Sheriff’s said it likely belongs to a person who was reported missing in April.

Authorities continue search for missing Columbia mother for 10th day

December 20, 2019 8:35 AM Zach Boetto

Law Enforcement agencies will continue to search the Lamine river on Friday for Mengqi Ji Elledge.

Osage Beach man drowned at Lake of the Ozarks after canoe capsizes

December 11, 2019 10:12 AM Matthew Sanders

State troopers are looking for a missing man after a canoe capsized Tuesday at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Search for Columbia mother apparently scaled back

December 11, 2019 5:42 AM Joe McLean

The search in a Mid-Missouri river for a missing Columbia woman was scaled back Wednesday, the seventh day that crews were on the water.

Search for Mengqi Ji Elledge continues into seventh day

December 10, 2019 10:24 AM Zach Boetto

Authorities were back at the De Bourgmont access on the Lamine River on Tuesday to search for a missing Columbia mother.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Elledge pleads not guilty in child abuse case

November 26, 2019 9:55 AM Madison Fleck

COLUMBIA, Mo, A Columbia man accused of child abuse pleaded not guilty to two felony charges in court on Tuesday morning. Joseph Elledge, 24, pleaded not guilty to child abuse or neglect and endangering the welfare of a child after he waived his preliminary hearing, said Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight. The case is now

Second child abuse count added in case tied to missing Columbia woman

November 18, 2019 3:33 PM Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Prosecutors have added a second child abuse-related count against the husband of a missing Columbia woman. The Boone County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Monday filed an amended complaint against Joseph Elledge, who had been charged with one count of child abuse last month. The revised complaint also accuses Elledge of one count

Columbia police ask hunters, land owners for help in finding missing woman

November 15, 2019 1:39 PM Madison Fleck

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department asked for hunters and land owners to help them find a woman who has been missing since the beginning of October. Mengqi Ji Elledge went missing on Oct. 8, according to police. Her husband, Joseph Elledge, was later arrested and charged with child abuse, and prosecutors have named