Sheriff: Cole County stabbing investigation continues

One person suffered life-threatening injuries Monday in a Cole County stabbing.

A teen boy was taken into custody, but the sheriff said more people might have been involved.

Cole County sheriff’s deputies were sent a little after 9 p.m. to the 5100 block of South Brooks Drive for a stabbing, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.

The attacker had already left the scene and the victim was on the way to St. Mary’s Hospital in a private vehicle when deputies arrived. Sheriff John Wheeler said it’s a “complicated crime.”

“The fact that when we arrived there was nobody there,” Wheeler said. “So we had to determine where it actually occurred and then once you find out where it happens, you have to start backtracking to try and figure out where everybody was at, who all was involved.”

Wheeler said further complicating the investigation was the suspect’s age. A juvenile officer had to be present while deputies questioned the alleged attacker, Wheeler said.

Deputies remained at the scene scene for two to three hours.

Cole County deputies were working with the Jefferson City Police Department as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol to track the suspect.

Wheeler said they had people on foot, cars and helicopters searching for the person or people involved.

Investigators identified a 15-year-old boy as the suspect and found him later at a residence in the 1900 block of Liverpool Drive, the sheriff’s office said. He was taken into custody without incident and referred to juvenile authorities.

“There may be the possibility of more people involved so we are still investigating,” Sheriff Wheeler said.

The victim, 19, was taken by helicopter to University Hospital in life-threatening condition and underwent emergency surgery.

“It was a pretty severe abdominal cut so they got him up to the University as soon as possible since it is a big trauma hospital,” Wheeler said.

The victim was in stable condition Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office said.

ABC 17 spoke to several neighbors who said the area has gone downhill.

“When I moved in here this used to be one of the safest neighborhoods,” said one resident who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation. “Now, we have shootings, stabbings, drug deals, kids running wild in the street from little to teenagers and they don’t move when you drive down the road.”

She said she’s had a dog stabbed and another poisoned in her 19 years living in Westview Heights.

Other neighbors said the price of their homes have gone down because of crime in the area.