Judge allows recordings as evidence in Joseph Elledge murder case

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Judge Brouck Jacobs will allow recordings of Joseph Elledge as evidence in the upcoming murder trial.

Elledge is charged with first degree murder in the death of his wife Mengqi Ji. Judge Jacobs ruled that the recordings are relevant and admissibale.

"After a hearing on 7/15/21, the Court took under advisement the admissibility of certain recorded statements. The Court listened to the underacted recordings in their entirety and has considered the arguments made by counsel in that regard. After due consideration, the Court finds that the recordings are relevant and otherwise admissible and therefore Defendant's objection to their admission is overruled."

There are 13 hours worth of secret recordings that the prosecution says shows Elledge's motive for the murder. The prosecution though submitted 9 hours worth, removing four hours of an illegible section of the recording and parts the prosecution says show Elledge's bad character.

The defense told the judge the recordings are hearsay.

Elledge was charged in Feb. 2020 with first-degree murder in the death of his wife.

Back in May, Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Knight originally made the request, arguing the audio evidence is necessary in order to show the jury Elledge's motive for killing Ji. Knight said without this evidence in court, it will be difficult for the jury to understand why Elledge killed Ji.

ABC 17 obtained court documents that described the secret audio recordings of conversations between Ji and Elledge that show months of verbal abuse by Elledge to Ji.

The prosecutor also said recordings show Elledge may have lied to police and reporters after Ji went missing in October 2019.

Police found Ji's remains at Rock Bridge State Park in March, after originally spending months searching the Lamine River.