COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The defense attorney for the woman who was found not guilty of a Dunklin County arson case said he was pleased with the outcome. Crystal Umfress, who owned Casa Maria’s in Columbia, was found not guilty of second-degree arson in a Butler County courtroom Tuesday night. Umfress was accused in 2023 of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man pleaded guilty to a federal gun offense Tuesday in Jefferson City, according to a Wednesday press release from the Department of Justice. Gerrell Lawrence, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal gun possession. He is currently being held at the Cole County Jail. The release says he admitted
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Parents of a Virginia man killed in a 2018 online sale meet up turned shooting say they were moved to put up billboards promoting ‘safe online exchanges’ after a Columbia man was killed in a similar way. Michael and Diane Grey tell ABC 17 News that they knew they needed to take
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) More than six years have passed since James Hickem was shot to death in a north Columbia neighborhood, and police have yet to obtain any key evidence in his case. Officers responded to the scene in the 600 block of McBaine Avenue at 8:13 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2019. Police found a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Callaway County Ambulance District will put a question about a use tax on the April 7 ballot, it announced in a Wednesday social media post. The tax is “designed to maintain stable funding for emergency medical services as consumer purchasing patterns continue to shift online,” the post says. It would apply
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A grand jury indictment was filed on Tuesday in Cole County against a man accused of shooting and killing a man on Jan. 9. Malcolm Mayes, 29, of Jefferson City, is charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and single counts of unlawful use of a weapon, illegal gun
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former West Middle School teacher who was charged with several child sex crimes last month was given a home-detention order after he received a bond. Zachary Hutchinson, 38, of Columbia, was charged on Jan. 21 in Boone County with three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, one count of child enticement, sexually
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A military jury found an Army specialist guilty of a Fort Leonard Wood murder on Wednesday. The jury convicted Specialist Wooster Rancy of murder and obstruction of justice after a week-long trial in Pulaski County, according to Army trial counsel spokesperson Michelle McCaskill. The trial will head to a sentencing phase,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former Pettis County deputy who shot and killed a 25-year-old Sedalia woman in June 2020 had his child pornography case moved from Pettis County to Cooper County on Wednesday. Jordan Schutte, 40, of Sedalia, is charged with child porn possession and first-degree promoting child porn. He is being held at the Miller County
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) On Wednesday morning, Mizzou Athletics announced that it has received a $3 million donation from a pair of longtime supporters. The gift came courtesy of Tiger alums Paul and Lynn Ann Vogel and will go towards Mizzou’s revenue sharing efforts, recruiting and other opportunities, in addition to creating a new donor lounge
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A motion was filed on Friday seeking to move a teenager accused in a January 2025 Columbia shooting to the Boone County Jail. Samiyon Myers, 16, of Columbia, is charged with first-degree assault, delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon,
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Cole County judge on Wednesday did not OK the Secretary of State’s request to rewrite the ballot language for a referendum that would put the new congressional map on the November ballot. Judge Brian Stumpe did not deny the request during the case hearing, either; the request will be considered
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Senate passed new rules on Tuesday that could make it harder to force an end to debate in the chamber. The chamber voted 23-11 on two new rules, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina). One change requires more signatures on a motion to vote on the “previous
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By Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department said it will seek the death penalty for the man accused of shooting two National Guard members, and killing one of them, near the White House in November. The man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, pleaded not guilty to the nine charges against him — including first-degree murder —
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Jefferson City leaders will meet Wednesday evening to discuss parking within the city and increased parking fines. City leaders are set to meet at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. In January, the Jefferson City Council approved a parking fine hike with an 8-2 vote. Parking violations were approved to be $25 across
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A small tool now being used by the Columbia Fire Department could be the key to saving lives. CFD began carrying EpiPens in January, a decision that had been about a year in the making. According to CFD Chief Brian Schaeffer, every fire apparatus is stocked with at least one EpiPen and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman who was accused of arson in Dunklin County was found not guilty of the charge. Crystal Umfress, who owned Casa Maria’s in Columbia, was found not guilty of her second-degree arson charge, her attorney Russell Oliver told ABC 17 News on Tuesday night. She was accused of hiring Kerry Raymond
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MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ) After sitting vacant for years and surviving multiple failed redevelopment attempts, the former Moberly Junior High and High School is nearing a new chapter as Tannehill Apartments, a 40-unit affordable housing complex for residents 55 years old and older. The $22.1 million project is a partnership between ND Consulting Group and the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Starting July 1 this year, the City of Columbia is set to roll out its recently approved median ordinance. The City of Springfield, Missouri, has had a similar median rule in place since 2018. Both ordinances focus on medians in intersections with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or higher, average
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Several billboards in Mid-Missouri are promoting safer online exchanges. Viewers may see those billboards from the group “Justice For Joshua Grey” across the area. Grey died in a 2018 Virginia shooting after setting up the sale of a cellphone on the internet. The new billboards in Missouri come after Michael Ryan Burke was
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