COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man was arrested on Tuesday after Columbia police claim he walked around the MKT Trail while he was nude. Draquawn Jennings, 33, of Columbia, was arrested on suspicion of four counts of sexual misconduct, according to a Tuesday evening social media post from the Columbia Police Department. Police write that it
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man accused of killing his wife and leaving the body at a Kingdom City hotel dumpster appeared in court on Tuesday. Jonathan Guthrie Houston, 44, is charged in Callaway County with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping. He is being held at the Callaway County Jail without bond. Houston is accused of
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) EDITOR’S NOTE: A quote has now been correctly attributed to Boone County Assistant Prosecutor Mel Buchanan. Three freshman Mizzou football players were arrested Monday on suspicion of first-degree harassment, a felony. Defensive back Ahmod Billins, cornerback Trashundon Neal and wide receiver Karsten Fiene were arrested Monday afternoon on suspicion of first-degree harassment,
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HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) EDITOR’S NOTE: One of the charges against Woods-Bloss has been corrected. A 17-year-old boy was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the death of a 16-year-old girl in Randolph County. Christopher R. Woods-Bloss was also charged with armed criminal action and first-degree kidnapping in the May killing of Kayla Huff, whose body
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Columbia Police Department leadership addressed the public about a report that showed increased crime numbers downtown on Monday night. That explanation came Monday after Race Matters, Friends raised concerns about how the Columbia Police Department’s downtown crime data was being presented during a Columbia City Council pre-council meeting. CPD presented a report comparing crime from
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia police say officers ramping up enforcement downtown played a large role in a report showing nearly a 48% increase in downtown crime during the past year That explanation came Monday after Race Matters, Friends raised concerns about how the Columbia Police Department’s downtown crime data was being presented during a Columbia
Continue Reading KINGDOM CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A homicide investigation is underway in Kingdom City. Maj. Curtis Hall with the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that an arrest was made in connection with the investigation. Jonathan G. Houston, 44, was booked into the Callaway County Jail on Sunday night on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping. Callaway
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WARSAW, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman on Monday afternoon pleaded guilty to helping kill a child in Benton County. Kourtney Aumen, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault. She will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21. The hearing appeared suddenly on the CaseNet court records website Monday morning ahead of Aumen’s trial,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia woman was arrested over the weekend after new charges were filed against her in a man’s 2024 beating death. Felicia Hay, 35, was charged earlier this summer with first-degree assault after a manslaughter charge was dropped in the November 2024 death of Antonio Davis, 56, of Columbia. Davis died in
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MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ) An appeal hearing in the murder of a snake breeder stalled Monday in Audrain County after an attorney failed to appear. Michael Humphrey filed the motion seeking to vacate or set aside his sentence in the killing of Ben Renick in Montgomery County, claiming his constitutional rights were violated by ineffective legal
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man has been charged after a woman died following a crash in Jefferson City. Damon L. Crocker, 57, of Centertown, was charged with one count of DWI resulting in the death of another. Court documents state that Crocker was seen on surveillance footage leaving the Office Bar around 3:54 p.m. Friday.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Despite a slight decline in overall crime in Columbia during the past year, reported crime downtown increased sharply. ABC 17 News obtained a copy of the “Downtown Columbia Crime Trends and Enforcement Strategies” report, which is set to be presented to the Columbia City Council on Monday during the city’s pre-council meeting.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Tennessee death row inmate is in the hospital and on a ventilator after an attempt to execute her failed, per national reports. On Wednesday, Christa Pike received lethal injection drugs twice and survived. Tennessee and Missouri use the same drug for the lethal injection, pentobarbital. Missouri’s Department of Corrections told ABC
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man accused in a deadly 2024 stabbing at Columbia’s Douglass Park has been deemed competent to stand trial. Demetrice M. Tatum, 41, of Columbia, was charged in April 2024 with first-degree murder and armed criminal action after he allegedly stabbed Kejuan Allen to death at Douglass Park. He appears on the Boone
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia man was accused of having a gun on Hickman High School’s property on Sept. 4. Sanji Ellis, born in 2007, was charged on Friday with carrying a loaded weapon onto school premises. He was detained that day and posted a $1,500 bond on Sept. 8. An initial court appearance is
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Webster County judge has denied a Benton County woman’s request to waive her right to a jury trial in a Benton County murder case. Kourtney Aumen is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, child endangerment and assault of 4-year-old Jessica Mast in December 2020. Aumen waived her right to a jury
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia mother whose son was robbed and shot to death in 2025 is calling for more home outreach in schools and better policing, after a new report identified the need for community intervention and collaboration. Faith Mejia lost her son Zarian Simpson in June 2025 after he was pistol-whipped and robbed
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COLUMBIA. Mo. (KMIZ) Reign Bar’s lawyer sent a response letter to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office after Attorney General Catherine Hanaway described the bar as having “persistent nuisance conditions.” The letter, sent by Jermaine Wooten, disputed claims of nuisance activity on and around the bar’s owned premises, stating that no violent incidents have occurred in
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri’s annual security and fire safety report showed that reports of rape and domestic violence went up from 2024. The report was shared by the university on Thursday. The 2026 annual safety report – which shows data from 2023-25 – shows that 11 reports of rape were made
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who was seen on his vehicle with a knife and hatchet outside of Commerce Bank in downtown Columbia has been charged with three felonies. Nicholas Francis, 36, of Kansas City, was charged on Thursday with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree making a terroristic threat. He
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