News

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A Columbia man has been sentenced for distributing heroin that caused the death of another man last year. Prosecutors say 37-year-old Ellison Lee Hutchinson Jr. was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in federal prison without parole. He was also ordered to pay about $1,700 in restitution to for the funeral

AT&T is crediting customers, after ABC 17 News first reported service issues in rural parts of Mid-Missouri. Maries County sheriff Chris Heitman called the lack of AT&T wireless service a public safety hazard. He told ABC 17 News he has been calling the wireless company since June to report bad coverage. Now the cell phone

Columbia city council members Laura Nauser and Michael Trapp spoke to the Muleskinners, a local Democrat group, about Columbia violence. Both are members of the Task Force on Community Violence. They said the task force believes gangs are behind much of the recent violence in the city. Nauser said, “You have people involved in criminal

Authorities in Camden County are investigating what appears to be a murder-suicide. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office responded to the 1200 block of Sunset Shores in Climax Springs after a concerned friend was unable to reach the residents. When they arrived at the home, they found a man and a woman — each with a

State law enforcement agencies are warning parents about marijuana-laced candy found in southwest Missouri. The new drug form looks like regular candy you would buy at the gas station — lemon drops, gummy bears and even snack foods, like Twinkies. But it contains something extra — up to 250 milligrams of THC, the chemical found

A Fulton man will face a Boone County judge next month on charges of rape. ABC 17 News confirmed Demetrice Tatum appeared in court on Wednesday. He was arrested Sunday on Claudell Lane near the Columbia mall. The victim says she woke up while Tatum was having sex without her permission. He is in jail

Former Columbia police officer Robert Sanders went on trial Thursday for assault charges filed in 2012. Sanders is accused of shoving and injuring an inmate in a CPD holding cell. The probable cause statement says there was a brief exchange of words between Sanders and the inmate. A department video camera shows Officer Sanders shoving

A trailer in Rustic Meadows Trailer Park was found with meth and meth paraphernalia in it Thursday morning. Officials said Boone County sheriff’s deputies and the SWAT team found meth, scales, and packaging materials, leading them to believe occupants of this house distributes the drug. One suspect was home at the time of the bust.

Jefferson City police are investigating an armed robbery at a convenience store Wednesday night. Police say around 10:43 p.m., officers were called to the Convenient Food Mart at 426 Brooks Street for a robbery report. According to investigators, two black men entered the store and forced an employee to the back of the store. Police

The trial for a former Columbia Police Department officer accused of assaulting an inmate is underway Thursday. Rob Sanders is accused of shoving an inmate in a cell back in 2011, causing the inmate to hit the back of his head against the wall. Sanders was later fired for use of excessive force. Cole County

The University of Missouri announced Thursday that it received a $1.57 million gift. This gift comes from MU Law School alum Charles Wall. The money will finance a new position in the law school called the “Wall Chair.” MU Law School professor Thomas Lambert was given this position. He will research for the university and

Centralia police arrested two men Wednesday for trying to sell drugs near a school. Officers say they found Kalib Colwell, 20, and Braunson Nichols, 20, with marijuana in their car at East City Park. According to police, Colwell and Nichols had agreed to meet a buyer at the park, which is located about 1,800 feet

Three adults and three children were injured in a Wednesday evening car crash in Saline County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Kurtis Sims, 24, of Carrollton, Mo., was driving an SUV on Highway 65 near Route N around 6 p.m. when the crash happened. Troopers say Sims overcorrected after the car traveled off the

Every year, 17,000 people are injured when drivers back over them. The U.S. Department of Transportation is recommending all new vehicles to have rearview cameras. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday it will add the rearview video systems to its list of recommended features under its New Car Assessment Program, designed to

We’ve been following an AT&T cellular service problem in Maries County for nearly a month. Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer’s office told ABC 17 the wireless provider told them the problem was fixed on Sept. 16. But when we went to Maries County to talk to customers we found they were still unable to connect.

Police admit multiple gangs, armed and dangerous, are active on Columbia streets. Officers spoke Wednesday night at the Mayor’s Task Force on Community Violence meeting, a group looking for a solution to stop crime within city limits. Wednesday was the first time police made a presentation to the committee. Police said they believe two or

A Moberly man landed in the Boone County jail on Wednesday for allegedly distributing child pornography. The FBI and local police arrested 28-year-old Adam Imhoff at his Moberly home, where they say they found about 248 pornographic images, along with 31 videos showing the molestation of children as young as 4. An investigation was started

The federal government is providing a glimpse of what Missouri residents could pay for health insurance when enrollment opens next week for a new online marketplace. Estimates released by the Department of Health and Human Services show a family of four with a $50,000 income could face average monthly premiums of $798 for a benchmark

The Columbia police conducted a safety checkpoint Wednesday to make sure drivers have valid licenses and vehicle insurance. Police said suspended, revoked, unlicensed and uninsured drivers continue to be a problem in the city. Officers were also on the lookout for people not wearing their seat belts, a problem they say contributes to many crash

A judge sentenced the final suspect of a 2012 Jefferson City murder to more than two decades behind bars. Khiry Summers was convicted of murder, robbery and armed criminal action in July. The judge sentenced him to 23 years in prison. Brandon Chase is already serving a ten year prison sentence for being the mastermind