Violent Randolph County crime spree injures at least three

22 year-old Jeffery Nichols and 18-year-old Christopher Lewis have both been charged with first degree murder in connection to the crime spree in Randolph County.

Both men are from Macon, where police say the rampage started and ended within just 24 hours. Nichols and Lewis are both behind bars on $1 million bond.

Moberly police on Tuesday say the men killed Carmelita L. Kaser, 92, of Moberly. An autopsy revealed she died of a stab wound.

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Department is not releasing the names of the two shooting victims or the carjacking victim as of Tuesday.

As of Monday afternoon, police couldn’t give any indication of a possible motive.

Authorities confirmed Monday morning two suspects were in custody after two people are shot and a 92-year-old resident is found dead.

Law enforcement said both men were arrested in Macon. Police surrounded a house in the 100 block of Third Street and waited for about 45 minutes before everyone surrendered at 10:30 a.m.

According to an earlier news release, the spree started when Moberly police were called to Walmart for reports of shoplifting. The suspects, captured on surveillance cameras, then got into a vehicle reported stolen from Macon.

Police later found the vehicle at the intersection of Jefferson and Morley and it was turned over to Macon police.

A string of quick crimes followed, with Moberly police responding to a vehicle fire. When officers attempted to make contact with the vehicle’s owner around midnight, cops found the 92-year-old resident dead.

As officers were responding to the vehicle fire, reports came in of an accident on County Road 2515.

Ten minutes later, Randolph County deputies were called to Route D for reports of shots fired with two male victims.

Randolph County Sheriff Mark Nichols told ABC 17 News late Sunday night the two suspects walked up to a home and waited for the resident and a male friend to return before shooting them both multiple times.

Those two men were taken to University Hospital in Columbia for their gunshot wounds. They were in emergency surgery as of early Monday morning.

As the suspect fled, they stole a Chevy truck from one of the victims and crashed it at the end of the driveway. They then returned and stole a Dodge truck from the property.

Nichols said the two drove south on Highway BB before stopping and assaulting a nearby female resident and stealing her vehicle. Neighbors told ABC 17 News crews at the scene the woman had been pistol-whipped.

That victim was taken to Boone Hospital, her condition was unknown.

The suspects then fled that scene and investigators from surrounding counties and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were called to assist in the manhunt.

Around 9 p.m., deputies were called to a residence in Higbee for reports of several stolen guns.

Earlier Sunday, sources had told ABC 17 News three victims had been taken to hospitals in Columbia – two to University Hospital and a third to Boone Hospital.