Two men indicted in 2017 Columbia murder
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A grand jury indicted two men on charges connected to a 2017 murder on Friday.
David Adams, 44, and Julius Cureon, 37, were indicted by a Boone County grand jury after being charged earlier this month.
Adams was indicted on charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, second-degree murder and illegal gun possession. Cureton was indicted on first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and second-degree murder.
The indictments state that the two knowingly entered a building unlawfully owned by the victim, Augustus Roberts, on Dec. 11, 2017. It also states the two stolen marijuana owned by the victim and acted together with others to shoot Roberts.
Court documents state Roberts was targeted and killed during a home invasion. A witness allegedly told police in 2017 that three masked men tried robbing the home. Police said the witness told them they escaped the home during the robbery and heard gunshots as they ran away.
Jeffrey McWilliams, 33, is also a suspect in the case. In 2021, prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
McWilliams allegedly told police during a "proffer interview" last December that Adams and Cureton were with him the night of the killing and that Adams killed Roberts, according to documents. A proffer interview could mean McWilliams is working on a plea deal with prosecutors.
The probable cause statement in Adams' case states that investigators found a shirt with tan paint from the crime scene and McWilliams' DNA on it after the shooting. They also found boxes of marijuana, vape pens and other items inside a U-Haul truck.
An arraignment was held Monday for Cureton, while the hearing for Adams is set for Sept. 15.
