Suspect charged in 2017 Columbia killing makes first court appearance

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man charged with three felonies including murder in a 2017 killing in an upscale subdivision made his first court appearance Wednesday.

Jeffrey McWilliams, 28, was charged late Tuesday with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. He is suspected in the death of Augustus Roberts, who died at a home in the 1900 block of Lasso Circle on Dec. 11, 2017. Police arrested McWiliams on Tuesday.

Roberts was the son of a northeast Missouri judge.

McWilliams appeared before Judge Stephanie Morrell, who said she has a conflict and can't preside over the case because she was a prosecutor for much of the time between Roberts' death and now. A bond hearing was scheduled for May 18. McWilliams will remain in jail without bond for now.

The prosecutor, Dan Knight said said there are two forms of murder in the second degree either conventional murder in the second degree or felony murder. Because it is suspected McWilliam's was there but it is unclear if he was the one who actually killed Robert's, he is being charged with felony murder.

"First count was murder in the second degree, second count was robbery in the first degree and the third count was armed criminal action, and today was his first appearance in court," Knight said.

Knight said it is important to remember that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

McWilliam's attorney, Stephen Wyse, said his client maintains his innocence and he is ready to defend him in court.

"My client maintains his innocence and he has no idea about this murder or robbery. I just hope my client doesn't have to spend all his time in jail until we can get this thing to trial," Wyse said.

Wyse said the evidence against McWilliam's is hear-say and not impressive even though it is early in the case.

"The evidence against him is there's evidently a shirt that has DNA that matches his and an unidentified witness who says that they talked to someone else who says they were involved in a robbery, and that Jeff who works at a restaurant is part of the people that were involved," Wyse said.

Wyse said he had a discussion with Dan Knight at the hearing about McWilliam's paying $100,000 cash bond and serving a home detention, but the prosecutor turned it down.

Police say Roberts was killed in a home invasion and was targeted. McWilliams is the former owner of Let's Roll, a now-closed ice cream shop in east Columbia. He was also featured on the Discovery Channel show "Restaurant: Impossible" while working at McLanks on Paris Road in 2019. Representatives at McLanks did not return messages for comment Tuesday.

A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation alleged in 2019 that the killing was tied to a drug trafficking scheme and that Roberts was selling "high-grade marijuana." Investigators said in court documents that about 800 pounds of marijuana in a U-Haul truck parked in the driveway of the home were stolen, but law enforcement found 94 pounds and more than 3,000 THC oil pens inside the truck, which was found elsewhere, and in the house.

A witness told Columbia police that three people wearing ski masks forced their way into the home and assaulted Roberts, according to a probable cause statement. The witness ran from the home but told police she heard gunshots as she ran away, the statement says. The witness told investigators that Roberts was involved in trafficking marijuana and "had large quantities of marijuana and money," the statement says.

Investigators found the U-Haul with blood on it and paint that matched wet paint found at the house where Roberts was shot, according to the statement. Police also found a pullover at the scene with blood that matched Roberts' DNA. A lab later found McWilliams' DNA on the shirt, as well, according to the statement.

Police connected McWilliams to the scene after an informant told them a man named "Jeff" who owned McLanks joined two other men in robbing Roberts, according to the statement. The informant reportedly told police that McWilliams was not the trigger man.

KMIZ reached out to McLanks for comment and received no comment.

Second-degree murder carries a 10-30-year prison sentence in Missouri.

McWilliams was in the Boone County Jail on Wednesday without bond.