Columbia murder suspect released on bond
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man jailed on murder, robbery and armed criminal action charges in May was released Friday on bond.
Jeffrey McWilliams is suspected in the death of Augustus Roberts, who died at a home in the 1900 block of Lasso Circle on Dec. 11, 2017. He is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
Columbia police believe McWilliams was at least present when someone shot and killed Roberts. Investigators have said Roberts sold large amounts of high-grade marijuana, and that the people involved may have tried to rob him. Police said a person implicated someone named "Jeff" as one of three people that robbed Roberts, with a different member of the group shooting Roberts.
Boone County Judge Josh Devine on Friday granted McWilliams a $50,000 bond and home detention. McWilliams' lawyer, Steve Wyse, said McWilliams posted bond Friday.
McWilliams maintains he is innocent.
McWilliams and his family opened the McLanks restaurant on Paris Road just four days before Roberts' death. A letter sent by his mother, Sheila Lankford, said McWilliams would be in the store by 5 a.m. to open it. Another letter from one of the wait staff that worked with him in 2017 said she would often see McWilliams working in the kitchen when she got in at 6 a.m. Lankford said she would continue to look into the restaurant's security and point of sale system to provide more information.
Police said officers were called to the scene around 3:30 a.m. that night. Phone records allegedly show McWilliams calling one of the people implicated by the informant several times between 4 and 5 a.m.
