Holts Summit woman charged with murder, delivering drugs after Platinum road homicide
UPDATE: Court documents obtained by ABC 17 News describe the investigation into the shooting death of David Grant, which has resulted in the Callaway County prosecutor filing first-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance charges against Amy Steward of Holts Summit.
Steward, according to the documents, called 911 to report Grant’s death around 1:30 a.m. Friday morning. She told Callaway County deputies that she returned home from a friend’s house to find Grant dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Steward had been living with Grant in the 10700 block of Platinum Road.
Steward also told deputies that a black safe, which belonged to Grant, was missing from the house. Court documents say Steward told deputies the safe contained several pounds of marijuana and other items.
Upon examination, authorities found Grant died from a bullet wound from a 9 mm handgun. A matching shell casing was found close to Grant’s body, but deputies did not find a matching gun in the house.
Steward said she was at a friend’s house until returning home around 1:30 a.m. Friday. The male friend, identified in court documents as R.S., contradicted Steward’s timeline. R.S. told deputies Steward left his house by 11 p.m.
Upon searching Steward’s phone, deputies found a text conversation between R.S. and Steward. In those texts, according to court documents, Steward said “R.S. may be questioned by the police and that he should tell the police that Steward was at the residence of R.S. playing Scrabble that same evening (April 26, 2018).”
In a later interview, Steward admitted to deputies that she sent the texts to R.S. and that she had not been playing Scrabble, according to court documents.
Afterwards, Steward alleged that another man, identified as J.S., was behind Grant’s murder. Steward told deputies J.S. led her at gunpoint to her home and intended to steal from Grant. Steward said J.S. shot Grant, sexually assaulted her in the bathroom, and then apologized to her for doing so.
Court documents say “Steward said she felt sorry for J.S. so she decided to protect him,” and then sent the texts to R.S. to create an alibi. Steward’s story of what happened “varied throughout her interview,” according to deputies.
Deputies questioned J.S., who said Steward left his residence around 11 p.m. J.S. also denied any sexual contact with Steward. No safe, marijuana or 9 mm gun were found when deputies searched his house.
After additional questioning, Steward said she put the black safe, which she had previously reported to deputies as missing, in a storage unit before Grant’s death. Court documents say deputies searched the unit and found the safe. After obtaining search warrants, deputies found about 7 pounds of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.
Footage from security cameras near the storage unit show a vehicle, which matched the description of Steward’s car, back up to the unit. The vehicle left the storage unit “27 minutes prior to Steward’s call to 911 to report Grant’s death.”
Court documents say that Steward told deputies she took the items to the storage unit “to get it out of the house.” At that time Steward requested a lawyer.
Investigators, according to court documents, also spoke with a friend of Steward who said she wanted lessons on how to operate, in particular, a 9 mm pistol.
ORIGINAL: The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in connection with Friday’s homicide investigation near Holts Summit.
The sheriff’s office announced late Saturday night deputies arrested Amy Steward, 44, of Holts Summit, on suspicion of first-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance.
Investigators have also identified the victim as David Grant, 67, of Holts Summit.
Deputies were called to the 10700 block of Platinum Road around 1:40 a.m. Friday for a death investigation. Grant was found dead inside the home, according to the sheriff’s office.
A cause of death has not yet been released.
Steward is being held without bond.
