News

Prosecutors in Morgan County have charged a man with rape, sexual assault and sending out private sexual images. According to the court documents, Zachary Oxford, 20, sent nude photos of the victim over Snapchat. The victim said Oxford raped her at a party last summer, according to a probable cause statement. Investigators say they found

Columbia interim Police Chief Geoff Jones spoke with the League of Women Voters Columbia-Boone County for the first time Tuesday on a wide range of topics including community policing and traffic stops. One member even asked Jones to explain everything he carries on his belt. Jones said he feels like the department should speak with

Memorial Day Weekend is the first time lakegoers will be back in bodies of water in nearly nine months. As you prepare for a fun holiday weekend, did you ever stop and consider what’s actually in the water. In an ABC 17 News Investigates, we found there’s a high level of E. coli in parts

A Cole County judge set a trial date Tuesday for a man accused in a double homicide case. Brandon Rapier, accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend in 2016, will stand trial starting Sept. 21. The trial is scheduled to last through Oct. 9. Rapier is accused of killing Ciera Kolb, 27, and Micah

A judge has reversed the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s decision to revoke former Highway Patrol Trooper Anthony Piercy’s peace officer license. The order, entered by Judge Daniel Green, sends the disciplinary proceedings back the the department of public safety to decide what to do. In May 2014, Brandon Ellingson drowned at the Lake of

A man accused of having sexual contact with a student enrolled in his class at Columbia Area Career Center pleaded guilty on Monday. Sean T. Diestel was accused of having sex with the student in May 2018. The victim reported she and Diestel engaged in a sexual relationship from September 2017 to December 2017, according

A crash blocked westbound I-70 near the Missouri River Bridge in Cooper County late Monday night. The crash happened just before 11 p.m. after a 2006 Honda Civic hydroplaned and hit the center wall on the bridge. The car was then hit by a tractor-trailer, driven by 31-year-old Asror Abshukrov of Cincinnati, which was hit

A woman accused of killing David Grant, 67, of Holts Summit last year pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Monday. Amy Steward was originally charged with first-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance but pleaded guilty to lesser charges on Monday, including armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm in addition to

TUESDAY: After a few lingering showers or storms early, we will dry out breifly through mid morning. Highs reach the low to mid 70s. Severe weather is likely by lunchtime and through the evening with a line of damaging 60-70 mph winds moving through after 12 PM. Spin up tornadoes can’t be ruled out along

Changes made by the Missouri Supreme Court to the state’s municipal court system could cost the city of Columbia thousands of dollars, and require those with unpaid parking tickets to show up in court. A new rule from the state’s high court took effect on May 1 that required all city ordinance violations to come

Vehicles safety inspections could soon change in Missouri. The Missouri General Assembly on Friday, its final day of the session, approved a bill that could relax the rules of vehicle inspections. If Gov. Mike Parson signs the bill, drivers would only need to get their vehicle inspected once it was 10 years old or reached

Columbia’s interim police chief said he wants to get to the bottom of why black drivers are pulled over more often than other races in Columbia. The gap in the rate black drivers are pulled over compared to their percentage of the population went down in 2018, according to traffic stop data released last week

UPDATE: Officials with the Jefferson City Fire Department said the fire was contained to the basement of the home in the 1100 block of Major Drive. One person was home at the time, but no one was injured, officials said. Hoewever, a family pet died. According to a news release, a working smoke detector had

Interstate 70 reopened Monday night after a tractor trailer carrying 41,000 pounds of meat overturned in Montgomery County, according to authorities. The Missouri State Highway Patrol tweeted pictures from the scene, saying the semi flipped over in the westbound lanes around mile marker 171, near Danville before 7 p.m. {“url”:”https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperF/status/1130623852172709888″,”author_name”:”MSHP Troop F”,”author_url”:”https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperF”,”html”:”&#lt;blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”&#gt;&#lt;p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”&#gt;&#lt;a

Pay is the number one reason Missouri teachers leave the profession, according to a new survey. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released a survey of 6,000 teachers, administrators and principals that shows 70 percent of Missouri teachers have considered leaving the teaching profession. The survey also shows that administrators believe the biggest

Callaway County’s sheriff says no laws have been broken despite concerns about a home sheltering registered sex offenders in New Bloomfield that’s located just over 1,000 feet from a child care center. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Sex Offender Registry, five men live in a home located at 9810 Route AE, 1,056 feet

Boonville High School is responding to parents’ concerns over rumors of widespread drug use last week. A parent contacted ABC 17 News after hearing students were caught at the school with the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. The district in a letter to parents called reports of “wide-spread” drug use unsubstantiated. Boonville High School leaders sent out

A man is now charged for his alleged role in two armed home invasions in Columbia earlier this month. Ashontai Wallace is believed to be one of three men who allegedly broke into two homes on May 9, according to a probable cause statement. The first robbery occurred around 2 a.m., according to court documents.

A Kansas man was injured at the Lake of the Ozarks on Sunday, according to a report by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. According to the incident report, Ross Harbert, 25, was riding a Yamaha WaveRunner when he struck a series of waves causing him to be thrown from the water craft. Investigators said as

TONIGHT: Showers and thunderstorms likely late. Heavy rain is possible, but the severe weather threat is low. There may be a few storms embedded with small hail. Overnight lows fall into the mid-50s. TUESDAY: A few lingering showers or storms early, with ample dry time into early afternoon. Highs reach the upper 70s to around