COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was charged with three felonies after he allegedly locked a woman in a room at a gym and sexually abused her on Tuesday. Daniel Melendez, 37, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree kidnapping and first-degree burglary. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia says it plans to make advocating for changing the state’s juvenile gun law a priority next year. During its meeting Monday night, council members unanimously approved making amending the state law to match federal law regarding possession of handguns by minor a legislative priority in 2026. The council
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As of Monday, the Columbia Police Department has documented fewer than 7,400 crimes in Columbia in 2025, according to CPD’s crime dashboard. During the investigation of each crime, police try and collect evidence to build a case. This evidence can include conversations, eye witness testimony and physical evidence such as documents, shell
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The issue of violent crime is again dominating public conversation in Columbia this fall. A Stephens College student from Columbia was killed last month as a random bystander in a shooting. The suspected killer used a handgun and allegedly fired 11 shots at innocent people. Since then, University of Missouri President Mun Choi has called
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CNN, POOL, SEE PREFONTS By Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, Devan Cole, Katelyn Polantz, Betul Tuncer, Emily Condon, Dalia Abdelwahab, CNN (CNN) — Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to two criminal charges at his arraignment Wednesday, where his lawyers said they plan to file several motions they hope will kill the case before
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude called the number of legal guns being carried downtown “shocking” in her statement to Columbia city leaders at Monday night’s council meeting. “Two of my assistant chiefs worked downtown over the weekend, and the remark that they made to me after the first night was they were
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two people are in critical condition after they were shot Tuesday morning in the 1100 block of Cordell Street, according to a press release from the Jefferson City Police Department. The release says officers were called at 5 a.m. for a “weapons offense” and found two people suffering from gunshot wounds. Both
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A police interrogation, pictures on a cellphone and the use of new bullet technology helped Columbia police identify a possible suspect in an April downtown shooting. Newly released court documents lay out the case against Travis A. Jones Jr., 22, for a shooting at Broadway and Ninth Street on April 13.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A well-known St. Louis attorney will handle the murder case of a man accused of killing a Stephens College student downtown. Attorney Scott Rosenblum’s firm will represent Misael Covarrubias in his case. Covarrubias is being held without bond for allegedly killing Aiyanna Williams on September 29 and hurting two others in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Miller County Coroner’s Office wrote in a Monday social media post that a man who died while in custody of the law enforcement died from a “sudden cardiac arrest, secondary to acute methamphetamine toxicity.” The coroner’s office previously wrote on Aug. 18 that Albert Clark, 54, had a plastic bag in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – The Cole County Sheriff’s Office plans to buy several new items using money from the state’s new law enforcement grant program. Sheriff John Wheeler tells ABC 17 News he plans to buy five mobile data terminals for patrol cars, three portable radios for road deputies and a new security camera from
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Callaway County woman was charged on Monday after she allegedly shot an AR-15 at an elderly man who was driving a skid steer on Sunday in a residence east of Fulton. Rebecca Elm, 58, was charged with second-degree assault, armed criminal action and first-degree property damage. She is being held at
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) City of Columbia officials will conduct their own walk around downtown Columbia, but they won’t announce the date and time in advance, a city spokesperson said Monday. Spokesperson Sydney Olsen said Mayor Barabare Buffaloe and city leaders are planning their own walk-through of downtown that will not be publicized in advance. Officials want
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Camden County’s presiding commissioner pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor after being charged with stealing a license plate reader. Todd Isaac “Ike” Skelton pleaded guilty to the Class B misdemeanor of obstructing a government operation, according to online court records. He was originally charged with felony stealing and tampering with a service
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The director of Morgan County Emergency Management was charged with a felony and a misdemeanor after he allegedly followed a woman back to her home on Saturday. Jason Foster, 40, of Versailles, was charged in Morgan County with first-degree harassment and first-degree trespassing, a misdemeanor. He was booked into the Morgan County
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former worker at the prison in Tipton who pleaded guilty in August to having sex with an inmate was sentenced to probation on Friday. Jessica Baird, of Versailles, was sentenced in Moniteau County to five years of supervised probation along with a three-year suspended sentence. She is accused of having sex
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The owner of a Boone County liquor store has been charged with a misdemeanor for an alleged sale that occurred in July. Jashiben Patel, of Columbia, was charged on Monday with selling alcohol without a proper license. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Previous reporting shows the state
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man was charged with two felonies after he allegedly stole a trailer and a bike after threatening to shoot someone. Robert Crowley, 41, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree robbery and illegal gun possession. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court appearance was held on
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia woman accused of shooting at another woman in the parking lot of the Conley Road Walmart pleaded guilty to six counts Monday. Whitney Nevels-McKee, 37, is accused of shooting a gun in May 2024 outside the store. A witness told ABC 17 News that he saw a woman with a
Continue Reading Joined by local business owners, City of Columbia residents, and Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi got a glimpse of the downtown Columbia nightlife scene in a walkthrough of the city late Saturday night.
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