COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A lawsuit filed by an umpire who was accused of attacking a woman and a deputy in 2023 was moved to federal court on Wednesday. Neal Sidebottom, of Versailles, was charged in 2023 with first-degree assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest. The case was transferred last year from Camden County to Moniteau County. A judge was
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A sex offender in Fulton was charged with a plethora of child sex crimes on Thursday. Leslie Lee Rodgers, 65, was charged with two counts of child enticement, seven counts of statutory sodomy of a victim younger than 12 years old, two counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of tampering
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been corrected to remove a reference to fighting teens being armed. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 16-year-old is in custody on suspicion of taking part in a fight that led to a deadly shooting Tuesday just outside Columbia. The teen suspect and the victim were part of groups that had met
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Several Mid-Missouri law-enforcement agencies are taking part in active-shooter training at the Community R-6 school district until the end of the week, the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Wednesday social media post. The post said the training occurred Wednesday and would last until Friday. “Passersby and residents will notice
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Jefferson City man who is currently incarcerated has been charged with several child sex crimes dating back to 2012. Joe Stevens, 39, was charged on Wednesday in Cole County with two counts of first-degree statutory rape, one count of forcible rape, three counts of forcible sodomy, three counts of first-degree child
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three people were arrested and charged with misdemeanors after refusing to leave an establishment after a bar fight in Morgan County on Sunday. Nicole Patricia Kusgen, 50, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree trespassing, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. She posted a $10,000 bond and was release from the Morgan
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two people charged with first-degree murder in Benton County in a Columbia man’s death appeared in court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. Michael Birnbaum, 28, and Kayley Birnbaum, 35, both of Springfield, Missouri, are charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. They are being held at the Benton County Jail
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A spokesman for the Boone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Tuesday night that one person was shot and killed in a neighborhood north of Clark Lane. Brian Leer, of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, said an 18-year-old man was shot and killed on North Frideriki Drive. Fire Department dispatch logs showed there
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BENTON CO, Mo. (KMIZ) Two people were arrested in Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday and charged with murder in connection with the 2021 death of a Columbia man. Cody Garrett, 28, was reported missing on June 21, 2021. Benton County deputies found Garrett’s vehicle and remains off the trails near a bike park outside Warsaw, Missouri.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The trial over the second-degree arson charge of a Columbia restaurant owner is scheduled for February. Crystal Umfress is charged with felonies in two cases in southeast Missouri. In one case, she’s charged with second-degree arson. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026. The trial is set to start Feb.
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(Editor’s note, 5/27: The story and headline have been updated to reflect a Cole County judge’s changes to the amount of money awarded in the case.) COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Western District Court of Appeals upheld a Cole County jury’s decision to punish agriculture giant Monsanto for diseases developed by those using its product. The
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Police say advancements in DNA technology are helping in cold case investigations. Police are investigating 16 cold case homicides dating back to 1985. Three of these cases are over 30 years old. This includes the case of 59-year-old George Showalter, who was found dead inside a Red Roof Inn motel room
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An Auxvasse man was charged this week with two counts of second-degree statutory rape. Taylor Logan Brown, 25, is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Callaway County Courthouse. The probable cause statement says that the youth was
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) An inmate who is serving a life sentence for murder was charged with several felonies on Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted two corrections officers in 2023. James Henderson, 44, was charged in Cole County with first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of violence toward a Department of Corrections
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Louisville Courier Journal filed a complaint on Friday against a Kentucky school board that hired former Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood. Jefferson County Public Schools said in a social media post on Thursday that the Board of Education voted 5-2 on Thursday to offer a contract, though it did not
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man accused of firing shots in a south Columbia apartment complex told police that he was drugged at a bar and didn’t remember the events, according to a probable cause statement. Gabino C. Hernandez, 28, whose hometown is listed as Anderson, Missouri, in jail records, remained in the Boone County Jail
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly brought back a seagull from the Gulf of Mexico and amputated its wing with a pair of scissors. Aaron Lacey was charged on Thursday with felony animal abuse, misdemeanor animal abuse and violating an ordinance by the county commission. A
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Police found evidence of gunfire on Friday morning in the 4300 block of Kentsfield Lane, the Columbia Police Department wrote in a Friday afternoon social media post. Police wrote that “all involved parties were gone” and that witness saw several people “cause a disturbance,” the post says. Police did not find anyone
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia teenager was certified as an adult on Friday for his alleged role in shootings on Dec. 21 and Jan. 27. Justin Lumley Jr., 17, is charged with four counts of first-degree assault, seven counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Mid-Missouri is taking steps toward curbing violence through collaborative efforts between local, state and federal agencies. The Violent Crime Abatement Team — which began on Jan. 1 — looks to discuss recent violent crimes and arrests in the area during monthly meetings at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Discussions include sharing information about
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