Woman’s death leads to murder charge in Columbia shooting

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County prosecutor filed a murder charge Friday against a woman accused in a deadly Columbia shooting.

Assistant prosecutor Chris Shelton amended the charges against Elizabeth E. Dye, 25, to replace a count of first-degree assault with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Maya Leah Nicole Wootton, 33, of Columbia. Police said Thursday that Wootton had died of injuries received in the shooting at a home in west Columbia.

Dye is also charged with armed criminal action and first-degree robbery.

Investigators say Dye, who was homeless and living in a car, shot Wootton in the basement of Wootton's home on Orchard Court overnight Sunday.

Lucas G. Harper, 34, was charged with tampering with evidence in the case. Harper told police that he was at the home when Dye shot Wootton, according to a probable cause statement. Harper told police he saw Dye going through Wootton's things after the shooting, and Dye had a rare coin that belonged to Wootton when she was arrested, according to the statement.

Investigators said in court documents that Harper planned to help Dye hide Wootton's body in concrete.

Dye remained in the Boone County Jail on Friday without bond. No lawyer was listed for her in online court records.

Dye was also charged in January with stealing a trailer that had chainsaws, leaf blowers and construction equipment in it.