News

The search for a suspect ended at Mexico Gravel Road and Pioneer Thursday night. It’s unclear who they were looking for and whether the person was caught. Multiple agencies were searching neighborhoods in north Columbia. Police searched a wooded area near Mexico Gravel Road and Ballenger Lane. They also searched near Indian Park. Neighbors in

Showers will move out of Mid-Missouri by mid-morning Friday, leaving us with clearing skies and cooler weather. If you will be watching high school football Friday evening, you might want to take a jacket or sweatshirt. Temperatures will cool into the upper 50s by the end of the games under mostly clear skies. The northerly

9 PM THU. UPDATE: The newest Threat Tracker continues the Slight Severe Risk for Pettis and Benton counties where there is a slightly higher chance of storms with damaging wind or large hail. Some of the eastern and northern Mid-Missouri counties have been taken out of the Marginal Risk. The severe threat is expected to

A Columbia man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his part in a fraud scheme that involved 14 banks across the state. Federal prosecutors say Michael Spears, 37, of Columbia, was sentenced Thursday and ordered to pay $114,127 in restitution. Prosecutors say Spears stole mail, opened bank accounts with fake identifications

The Lincoln University Board of Curators approved the wellness center project near the high school and the campus of Lincoln University Thursday. The board spent most of Thursday morning discussing issues including the wellness project. Jefferson City leaders already moved forward with the new multi-million dollar project Wednesday, before Lincoln University leaders discussed the multipurpose

A Columbia man was arrested Thursday for promoting child pornography andviolating the terms of his sex offender registration. Members of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Forcestarted investigating 44-year-old Matthew Stone after they received a tip from the NationalCenter for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators learned Stone had uploaded child pornography to Skype

On Wednesday, officials set an execution date for a man convicted in a Columbia triple murder back in the early 90s. The state scheduled lethal injection for Ernest Lee Johnson November 3, 2015, at 6 p.m. Johnson was found guilty of killing three employees with a claw hammer in February 1994 at the former Casey’s

A Boone County judge turned down the guilty plea of the fourth person police connected to a murder-for-hire scheme in Columbia. 27-year-old Christopher Hurt took the stand Wednesday afternoon to plead guilty to hindering prosecution and possession of a controlled substance. Hurt was accused of providing a false alibi for James Thompson, who a jury

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department is still understaffed. At the beginning of 2014, ABC 17 News checked and the department was short eight deputies in street patrols. On Wednesday, the department said it still had three openings for deputies on the road, which the department said is a big improvement. The jail is currently short

An Arkansas man is now heading to federal prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday to a dozen armed robberies, including a Mid-Missouri bank in 2013. Timothy Hoyt admitted to the hold-up in Blackwater, about 25 minutes west of Boonville in Cooper County. Court records show Hoyt walked out of Alliant Bank with $5,123, on June

Some Missouri bridges in critical need of repair or replacement will now be able to be fixed. ABC 17 News reported last week more than 640 bridges are in critical condition across the state. Now, the Missouri Department of Transportation will get about $100 million to make much needed bridge repairs. The Missouri Highways and

Internet service was a topic of discussion at Wednesday’s “Rural Communities Matter” conference in Jefferson City. The meeting was to address claims that reliable connections were slow, inconsistent and expensive in less-populated areas of the state. Members of the Missouri Farm Bureau and the U.S. Department of Agriculture discussed possible solutions to the problems. “The

After more than an hour of public comment Tuesday night, the Columbia City Council turned down CVS Pharmacy’s plan to build a store downtown. It’s the third time the company has proposed a plan for the corner of Providence Road and Broadway since 2013. The council voted 4-3 against letting CVS build a sewer line

Forecast models are indicating highest rainfall amounts, up to 2″ will be west of HWY 65 by Friday afternoon. Most of Mid-Missouri counties will see rain starting up after 8PM Thursday night through daybreak Friday morning. There will be a chance for spotty storms south of HWY 50 in the afternoon Friday. No severe weather

A murder trial has been delayed for the man accused of killing a 6-year-old boy. Scottie Willet’s trial was scheduled to start Wednesday. Willet is also requesting a change of venue. Willet is charged with first degree murder, armed criminal action, receiving stolen property and tampering with a motor vehicle in connection to the 2014

A 23-year-old man’s body was pulled from the Lake of the Ozarks Tuesday. The Missouri Highway Patrol crash report says Elijah Lindstedt jumped off a moving boat on Monday. His body was found near Cartwright Cove at the 45 mile marker. Lindstedt was was pronounced dead by the Camden County medical examiner just after noon

The State Fire Marshal has released its investigation into a fire that killed four children. The fire was just more than a month ago at the Compass Pointe Condominiums in Osage Beach. Despite a month of investigating, there is still no official cause for the fire. Four children between the ages of one and four

ABC 17 News learned a Columbia man is back on the streets, after he is accused of attacking and hitting a 6-year old. Police say James Bennett pushed the child to the ground, got on top of him, and then hit him several times. Officers say he had bruises and cuts on his neck, shoulders

Columbia police officials said there’s a new normal — putting two police officers in every patrol car for every shift. The changes come after the recent violence against law enforcement. “The one-officer unit is a thing of the past. I think that a few weeks ago, I actually asked the patrol commander to double up

One woman was led away in handcuffs after an incident at a south Columbia apartment complex. It happened at the Gateway at Columbia apartment complex just before 4 p.m. Tuesday on Buttonwood Drive. A Columbia police sergeant tell ABC 17 News someone called and reported multiple people in an apartment armed with knives and guns.