Crime Archives

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you support the death penalty?

September 1, 2021 1:17 AM ABC 17 News Team

Lethal injection has come under scrutiny in recent years on ethical and constitutional grounds.

Randolph County inmate used another identity to escape custody

August 31, 2021 10:59 PM Joushua Blount

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Randolph County Sheriff’s Department continues to search for an inmate after she used another inmate’s identity to escape the jail Saturday. On Saturday morning, 24-year-old Ellen Renay Goble was held on five charges at the Randolph County Jail when she used the other inmate’s personal information to escape. The jail was

Auxvasse man pleads guilty to growing marijuana and owning illegal guns

August 31, 2021 5:36 PM Karl Wehmhoener

Darrin Dale Smithee, 55, of Auxvasse, faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to one count of manufacturing marijuana and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Missouri Supreme Court declines to halt Johnson execution

August 31, 2021 3:05 PM Associated Press

By JIM SALTER Associated Press The Missouri Supreme Court has refused to halt the October execution of a man convicted of a triple killing who claimed his intellectual disability made him ineligible for the death penalty. Ernest Lee Johnson is scheduled to die by injection Oct. 5 at the state prison in Bonne Terre. It

Missouri hate crimes in 2020 highest since 2011

August 30, 2021 9:14 PM Zach Boetto

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The FBI released new hate crime statistics for 2020 on Monday, showing Missouri reported it’s most since 2011. The state of Missouri, in 2020, reported 115 hate crimes, up compared to the 89 in 2019. Here is how the numbers break down for the last 10 years: 2020: 1152019: 892018: 662017: 1042016:

One arrested after a report of an attempt to smuggle drugs into prison using a balloon

August 30, 2021 7:19 PM Karl Wehmhoener

A woman was arrested Sunday after an investigation into an attempt to smuggle drugs into Jefferson City Correctional Center using a balloon.

Three juveniles arrested after stolen vehicle chase ends in Cole County

August 30, 2021 6:49 PM Karl Wehmhoener

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Three juveniles were arrested Sunday afternoon after Cole County deputies responded to a possible stolen vehicle from Hazelwood in Jefferson City. Deputies pulled the vehicle over at Big Horn and Charm Ridge. The deputy was walking up to the vehicle when the driver sped off. A chase ensued but stopped a

Court documents unsealed in Boone County double murder case

August 30, 2021 4:29 PM Matthew Sanders

In documents detailing the two first-degree murder charges against JT McLean, police say a witness, a supermarket receipt and neighborhood surveillance videos connect McLean to the scene where Allison Abitz, 43, and her daughter, Jozee Abitz, 11, were found dead in their home just south of Columbia on Aug. 22.

Columbia police: Stolen catalytic converters cases as cost of metals rise

August 28, 2021 12:01 AM Joushua Blount

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Police Department is reporting a rise in stolen catalytic converters in the area. According to a report, there was a total of 78 catalytic converters stolen in 2020 and 96 so far for this year. Thieves steal the catalytic converter because of the precious metals in them. Converters contain platinum,

Columbia murder suspect released on bond

August 27, 2021 3:57 PM Matthew Sanders

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.

Missouri judge declines to rule on new gun law’s legality

August 27, 2021 12:45 PM Associated Press

By SUMMER BALLENTINE Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge has declined to weigh in on the constitutionality of a new state law forbidding local police from enforcing federal gun laws. Cole County Circuit Judge Dan Green on Friday punted the case. He wrote that constitutional questions need to be addressed in other

Police: Columbia suspect said girls were ‘flaunting themselves’ after bus stop confrontation

August 27, 2021 12:58 PM Matthew Sanders

Mark L. Martin, 57, of Columbia was arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree harassment, a felony. Police in a news release Thursday said a girl reported Martin trying to lure her into his truck at a bus stop at Hyde Park Avenue and Cooper Drive in south Columbia.

Jefferson City man sentenced to prison after shooting

August 26, 2021 9:24 PM ABC 17 News Team

A Jefferson City man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a March 2020 shooting in the 200 block of McCarty Street.

Dozens gather for Abitz vigil in Fulton

August 26, 2021 11:24 PM Lucas Geisler

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ) Mourners gathered in Fulton to remember the lives of two people killed over the weekend in Boone County. Cars filled the parking lots of Southside Baptist Church as people gathered for Allison and Jozee Abitz. Church officials did not allow ABC 17 News into the vigil, saying it wanted to respect the

Neighbors ‘shocked’ after Columbia man is arrested for kidnapping allegations

August 26, 2021 4:50 PM Karl Wehmhoener

The Columbia police arrested a man Thursday after an attempted kidnapping in the area of Hyde Park Avenue and Cooper Drive.

Tuesday chase through Cole County reached speeds in excess of 100 mph

August 26, 2021 10:18 PM Karl Wehmhoener

A prosecutor has charged a Linn man after a chase that reaches speeds in excess of 100 mph through Cole County Tuesday.

Murder charge upgraded against woman accused in Jefferson City boy’s death

August 26, 2021 9:46 AM Matthew Sanders

Quatavia Givens was indicted Wednesday on first-degree murder, child endangerment and abandoning a corpse charges in the death of Darnell Gray after he dropped the previous charges, which included second-degree murder, according to a Jefferson City Police Department news release.

Double murder suspect previously ordered to stay away from ex-wife and child, court documents say

August 26, 2021 11:29 AM Molly Stawinoga

The man accused of murdering a Fulton teacher and her daughter not only has previous run-ins with the law, but also previous familial disputes, including threats of violence.

Ex-wife of Fulton murder suspect says she’s ‘not surprised’ by charges against him

August 25, 2021 9:41 PM Leila Mitchell

Boone County prosecutors charged JT McLean with two counts of first-degree murder Wednesday in the deaths of his girlfriend, Allison Abitz, 43, and her daughter, Jozee Abitz, 11, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The sheriff’s office said McLean was the last person to see them alive but released no other details about the investigation.

School of the Osage comments after former school resource officer charged

August 25, 2021 10:33 PM ABC 17 News Team

LAKE OZARK, Mo. (KMIZ) The School of the Osage says it will cooperate with law enforcement after its former school resource officer was charged. Prosecutors charged Jenna Jackson for allegedly sending nude photos of herself to a student and having a sexual relationship. The school district put out a statement today saying it first learned