News

A Mid-Missouri woman who as a teenager wrote that killing a young neighbor girl was an “ahmazing” thrill is now asking a judge to overturn her guilty plea. Alyssa Bustamante testified in court Thursday that she wouldn’t have pleaded guilty to the 2009 slaying of 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten if she’d known about a pending U.S.

The execution of a death-row inmate in Missouri is still on hold pending a court fight. Missouri’s attorney general asked the U.S. Supreme Court late Wednesday to clear an appeals court stay that is delaying the Wednesday execution of Herbert Smulls. The high court had issued a temporary stay shortly before Smulls was scheduled for

More than nine hours after UM System President Time Wolfe addressed the media Wednesday, the UM Board of Curators approved Wolfe’s recommendation to hire outside legal counsel to review matters related to the Sasha Menu Courey case. This stems from an ESPN report that claimed the University of Missouri did not investigate an alleged sexual

Every year Columbia police keep track of the number of burglaries that happen over winter break. This year, that number was up 45 percent. CPD released the statistics Wednesday showing 96 burglaries happened between Dec. 14 through Jan. 20. That’s up from 2012, when police recorded 66 burglaries. Of that 96, 75 happened in someone’s

New details tonight about a veteran affairs’ inspector general’s report assessing Columbia’s VA hospital. A report released late this afternoon finds the locked mental health unit’s nursing station did not have a panic alarm system that “ensures emergent response by staff and VA police.” Remember the hospital has been under scrutiny since a patient there,

The third and final section of the Hurricane Deck bridge will come down Thursday morning at the Lake of the Ozarks. Traffic will be stopped in both directions on Route 5 for about 15 minutes during the 9 a.m. blast. A second explosion will also take place immediately following at the top of the structure.

Multiple sheds in Cole County were damaged after catching fire late Wednesday afternoon. The fires happened near the intersection of Route V and Route A. Both the Russellville and Moreau fire departments were on the scene just after 3 p.m., but the blaze continued to burn for several more hours afterward. There is still no

Boone County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for two men in connection with a home invasion robbery that happened on El Chaparral Avenue Tuesday afternoon. According to deputies, two males got into the home around 1:20 p.m. and forcefully stole numerous items. They were armed with a bat and a knife, but the person at the

ABC 17 News at Noon will be a special one-hour broadcast Wednesday, Jan. 29. The station will carry remarks by University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe, which are scheduled to begin around 12:30 p.m. Wolfe’s press availability will be the first time any official associated with the university will directly address questions about a

State residents who pay tuition at the four schools in the University of Missouri system can look forward to flat tuition rates in the coming academic year. University curators voted Wednesday in Columbia to freeze resident tuition at current levels for the 2015 fiscal year. Most students at the state schools in Columbia, Kansas City,

University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe addressed the media today following days of scrutiny over a national report that was critical of the MU campus’ handling of a former student athlete’s death and possible sexual assault. Wolfe released a statement Sunday following an ESPN broadcast about Sasha Menu Courey. The report detailed the former

Last night Columbia officials presented ideas to a panel about a TIF, or tax increment financing district. The city wants to use the money to make improvements. Officials do not think downtown can handle any more housing projects until infrastructure is upgraded. However, many oppose the move. It’s controversial because a TIF would freeze tax

On Tuesday the University of Missouri police said an attack inside a dorm over the weekend is now classified as a sexual assault. Investigators have identified the two suspects, but they are not releasing their names. No arrests have been made. The incident happened early Sunday morning in Laws Hall. Officers said two men entered

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is calling the case of the former University of Missouri swimmer who said she was sexually assaulted and later committed suicide a “heart-breaking situation.” Nixon said Tuesday his “thoughts and prayers” are with the family of Sasha Menu Courey as they are thrust into the spotlight after an ESPN investigation. In

Mike Menu and Lynn Courey are looking for clarity. In an interview with ABC 17, the parents of the late Sasha Menu Courey say they are “satisfied” investigations by Missouri and Columbia Police are taking place. “We really want to make sure that it is up to the investigation to find out all the facts

Senate Bill 732 seeks to modify provisions relating to criminal procedure. The bill comes after several high-profile cases involving wrongly convicted who were found innocent. Tuesday night, Josh Kezer addressed a group at the capitol urging their support for the bill. Kezer was wrongly convicted of murder in 1992 and spent 15 years behind bars

Earnest Ross and Jabari Brown scored 24 points each as Missouri earned its first win in Bud Walton Arena with a 75-71 victory over Arkansas on Tuesday night. The Tigers (16-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) were winless in six attempts in the building entering the game, but they hit 16 of 16 free throws in the

Gov. Jay Nixon said Missouri employers will soon see a tax reduction — to the tune of nearly $200 million. Nixon announced Tuesday that this $186 million federal tax cut comes from the U.S. Department of Labor. He said by retiring Missouri’s obligation to the unemployment insurance trust fund six months early, Missouri employees will

Officials said Tuesday unattended cooking caused a fire near the Columbia Mall. A woman and her 1 year-old child are staying with relatives after escaping unharmed Monday afternoon along Claudell Lane off Worley Street. The home was destroyed. The Red Cross also helped a family from the other apartment on Tuesday, which includes a mother

The University of Missouri issued a longer response on Tuesday about the Sasha Menu Courey case. Officials answered specific questions about how they handled the claims of rape by the former swimmer. They emphasized there was no formal request for an investigation or concrete information until after the ESPN investigation surfaced. According to ESPN, Sasha