Judge finds probable cause for man involved in death of Moberly girl

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

A judge found enough probable cause Thursday to try one of the four suspects involved in the death of Randolph County 16-year-old Kayla Huff.

Judge James Cooksey bound over Hunter Ames, 19, to circuit court on Thursday morning after a preliminary hearing in Randolph County. Ames faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, property damage, tampering with evidence and burglary in the killing and disappearance of Huff in May.

Prosecutor Stephanie Luntsford called Lt. Nathan West of the Randolph County Sheriff's Office to the stand to testify about Ames' during his investigation.

West said he periodically questioned Ames during the investigation after receiving a tip that Ames's pistol was the weapon used to kill Huff. A warrant was used on May 7 to search his home, and law enforcement found and confiscated the 9-mm Hi-Point pistol.

West said he would go to Ames's house in the following days to question him, and said he learned more information about the case with each visit. West said Ames confessed to him that he gave Alayna Mason -- a suspect in the case charged with murder -- the pistol after she came to his house and said she needed to take care of somebody in the trunk of a car.

West said Ames implied that he knew the weapon was going to be used.

Ames also allegedly confessed to West that Mason said she wanted to mess with somebody's car and that he went to a codefendant's house to get a "yellow jug," which Ames thought was motor oil, but after closer investigation with a mechanic, they learned it was antifreeze. West said the mechanic found this antifreeze in the gas tank, which disabled the vehicle.

A final questioning with Ames on May 11 revealed that an expandable baton was used to assault Huff, authorities allege. Autopsy results showed a bruise to her hand and head, which may have been caused by the weapon. West said he saw the baton during one of law enforcement's searches, but didn't confiscate it at the time without knowing it may have been part of Huff's killing.

After learning the baton was involved in Huff's killing, Ames allegedly admitted that he and Christopher Hull went to dispose of the weapon, and reportedly admitted to shoving the baton in the ground to hide it in a wooded area.

Ames later told detectives where he hid the baton and brought them to the location, according to West.

West said on May 12, Ames was arrested, read his Miranda rights, and a polygraph was done.

Defense attorney John Marshall said that Ames was just a "bystander who got caught up."

Marshall claimed that West and his co-detective were intimidating Ames by making jokes and threats during the questioning. Because Ames was feeling "stressed" during the questioning, Marshall asked the judge to take what he said with "a grain of salt."

Marshall said that there was no probable cause to support the kidnapping charge because Ames wasn't made aware of who was in the trunk.

Cooksey set an arraignment for 9 a.m. Aug. 12.

Marshall said he will be filing to change where the trial might take place and the judge overseeing the case.