August arrest leads to suspect in 2017 killing

The Cole County Sheriff’s Office says an unrelated arrest last month has led them to a suspect in a 2017 murder case.

Shavontay Estes, 24, of Jefferson City, was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in the June 2017 killing of Dennis Thompson at an apartment building west of Jefferson City. Estes had been in the Cole County Jail since Aug. 30 on charges in another case.

The arrest of Javontay Knight in an unrelated case on Aug. 22 led to the charges against Estes in the two-year-old crime, according to a probable cause statement. Knight, who had been with Estes the night Thompson was shot and killed, had initially told investigators that Estes was not at the Collier Court apartments where Thompson died, the statement says.

However, the statement says Knight told investigators after his arrest last month that he had lied and that Estes was on Collier Court that night. Knight also told investigators that Estes confessed to Knight and another man that he had shot Thompson.

Investigators said witnesses’ stories about Estes’ location during the shooting did not match up. Estes had claimed to be with his wife at the time of the shooting, but phone records show she messaged another woman saying she didn’t know where Estes was as late as 2 a.m., according to the probable cause statement.

Estes has prior convictions for domestic violence and drug possession. He was in the Cole County Jail on Thursday on no bond. A hearing has not been set in his case and he does not have a lawyer, according to online court records.

Stay with ABC 17 News for more information on this developing story.