Sentencing hearing moved for former state trooper found guilty of sexual abuse, kidnapping

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former state trooper found guilty of sexual abuse and kidnapping was not sentenced on Friday.

A jury found Jeffrey Durbin guilty in January after a woman had accused Durbin of assaulting her and keeping her inside his hotel room after she tried to escape during a conference on DWI training at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Columbia in March 2023. The woman testified that she and Durbin had been drinking but that she had tried to rebuff his advances.

Jeffery Durbin had been charged with sexual abuse, a felony, and third-degree kidnapping, a misdemeanor.

Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson said in an email that Friday's sentencing hearing was continued and the next hearing date has not been set.

The jury recommended no prison time for the sex abuse charge, but recommended that the court fine Durbin. It also recommended a three-month sentence in the county jail for the kidnapping charge, in addition to a fine.

A judge will also be hearing the argument of a motion for a new trial filed by Durbin's defense at Friday's sentencing hearing. Durbin's defense claims that a jury member did not disclose background information that could have made them biased towards Durbin.