Crime Archives

Teen fentanyl use, deaths on the rise

June 13, 2023 11:48 AM Mitchell Kaminski

Teen fentanyl deaths went up 182%, according to a recent study.

Iowa man sentenced for harassing Callaway County teen online

June 13, 2023 5:44 PM Matthew Sanders

A southern Iowa man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in federal prison after he admitted to harassing a Callaway County teenager online and trying to create child pornography.

Callaway County commissioners still support removed sheriff

June 13, 2023 4:19 PM Hannah Falcon

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) Callaway County commissioners said Tuesday morning that they still support the sheriff removed from his office amid allegations of drinking on the job. Clay Chism was removed as Callaway County sheriff after his peace officer license was suspended indefinitely. Callaway County commissioners appointed Chief Deputy Darryl Maylee as the interim sheriff

Man arrested after Memorial Day weekend UTV crash charged with DWI

June 13, 2023 5:10 PM Matthew Sanders

A man arrested after a crash between his UTV and a car in Miller County on Memorial Day weekend has been charged with two felonies.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Has someone you know been hurt by fentanyl?

June 13, 2023 2:36 AM ABC 17 News Team

The synthetic opioid has been showing up in pills that are being sold as other drugs. Last week the Pettis County sheriff said deputies found more than 800 counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl during a traffic stop.

Callaway County sheriff removed from office after license stripped; interim appointed

June 12, 2023 3:44 PM Marina Diaz

Callaway County’s sheriff no longer has a peace officer’s license in Missouri after reports that he was drinking and buying liquor on the job made their way to the state’s top law enforcement office.

Woman charged with four felonies after fight at Columbia recreation spot

June 12, 2023 12:00 PM Erika McGuire

City officials and police remained quiet Monday about who was arrested over the weekend at Columbia’s Activity and Recreation Center on accusations of assaulting a boy.

Sheriff: Columbia teen was driver of car with 800 fake Percocet pills made of fentanyl

June 12, 2023 5:04 PM Matthew Sanders

The sheriff of a Mid-Missouri county said over the weekend that the driver of a car carrying more than 800 fake Percocet pills made from fentanyl was a runaway teenager from Columbia.

Man gets four years in federal prison for insurance fraud in case with Columbia ties

June 12, 2023 4:12 PM Matthew Sanders

A Kansas City man was sentenced Monday to four years in federal prison for his role in a $1.1 million insurance fraud scheme with a former Columbia man.

Fourth former University of Missouri fraternity brother takes plea deal in hazing case

June 12, 2023 9:37 AM Matthew Sanders

A fourth former member of a shuttered University of Missouri chapter of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Monday.

Four arrested for fight at ARC in Columbia Sunday afternoon; police unable to determine if shots fired

June 11, 2023 5:05 PM abc17news-Newsroom

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Four people were arrested after a disturbance at the Activity Recreation Center in Columbia led to a large police presence in the area for over an hour Sunday evening. Columbia Police and several other agencies responded to the ARC Sunday at 4:34 p.m. for reports of a fight and possible shooting. Police

Columbia man pleads guilty in wife’s murder

June 9, 2023 2:20 PM Matthew Sanders

A Columbia man who pleaded guilty Friday to his wife’s 2006 murder has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison.

Centralia man pleads guilty in connection with Jan. 6 Capitol riot

June 9, 2023 12:01 PM Matthew Sanders

A Centralia man charged in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty to a felony Thursday in a federal court.

St. Louis man charged after Montgomery County chase

June 9, 2023 11:28 AM Matthew Sanders

Montgomery County authorities have charged a St. Louis man with six felonies after he led deputies on a chase Tuesday afternoon.

Man accused of killing wife in 2006 headed to court ahead of upcoming trial

June 9, 2023 5:45 AM Joushua Blount

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Keith Comfort will have a pre-trial hearing on Friday at 1:30 p.m. before his jury trial on Monday morning at the Boone County Courthouse. Comfort is charged with killing his wife in 2006. According to court documents, in 2019, authorities say Comfort admitted to police in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin that he killed his wife Megan

Police investigating on side of Highway 63 in northeast Columbia

June 8, 2023 9:48 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – Several officers and a crime scene truck were on the side of Highway 63 on Thursday night in northeast Columbia. An ABC 17 News crew could see multiple police officers and the crime scene investigation van on Highway 63 near the Vandiver Drive exit. Some officers had cars resting on the

Community members and local activists discuss violence trends in Columbia

June 8, 2023 7:49 PM Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two local groups held a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss crime in Columbia. The meeting was a joint collaboration between Destiny of H.O.P.E and P.E.A.C.E non-profit organizations. The meeting was called at the Parkade Plaza following a shooting that left two teenagers dead after an argument lead to gunshots in

Columbia murder suspect asks for mental health commitment

June 8, 2023 9:40 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – The lawyer for a murder suspect in Boone County asked a judge to commit their client to a mental health facility. Emma Adams, 20, faces four felonies, including murder, for the killing of Sammy Clemons in January. Her attorney, Jeffrey Hilbrenner, asked Judge Jeff Harris to consider committing her to a

Columbia man pleads guilty to insurance, COVID business relief fraud

June 8, 2023 4:35 PM Lucas Geisler

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal charges for scamming insurance companies on car crash claims and fraudulently obtaining federal COVID-19 relief money. Lawrence Lawhorn made the plea in two separate cases on Thursday. Lawhorn pleaded guilty to wire fraud, mail fraud and identity theft in the car crash

Man pleads guilty after breaking into Audrain Community Hospital

June 8, 2023 3:11 PM Madison Stuerman

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ) A Mexico, Missouri man was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to breaking into a hospital. According to online court records, Geoffrey Allen pleaded guilty to an amended misdemeanor count of second-degree property damage after he broke into the Audrain Community Hospital last April. In a plea agreement, Allen will serve two