Randolph Archives

Case against teen in Randolph County murder case moves forward, is accused of coercing victim into trunk before killing

November 5, 2026 11:58 AM Marie Moyer

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) A Randolph County Judge found testimony from Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Detective Nathan West sufficient to move forward with a murder case. Seventeen-year-old Christopher R. Woods-Bloss appeared handcuffed in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing for his involvement in the death of 16-year-old Kayla Huff in May. Woods-Bloss was charged with first-degree

Former Moberly daycare owner sentenced to 14 years in prison

November 5, 2026 5:55 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The former owner of a Moberly daycare was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Wednesday in Randolph County. Naomi Hess pleaded guilty in August to four counts of first-degree child endangerment. Hess, who ran Play N’ Learn Daycare, was arrested in 2024 after a witness reported that she had slapped

Man pleads guilty to helping Moberly murder suspect evade arrest

November 5, 2026 2:02 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – The man accused of helping a Moberly murder suspect evade arrest pleaded guilty on Thursday. Skyler Powell pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution of a felony in Monroe County court. Powell admitted to helping Alayna Mason after her brief escape from law enforcement in May while she was suspected of killing 16-year-old

Woman arrested in Moberly manhunt after hammer attack

November 3, 2026 2:58 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman was arrested Monday night after a manhunt occurred in Randolph County. Courtney Pingleton, of Moberly, was charged on Tuesday with first-degree assault and misdemeanor escaping from custody. She is being held at the Randolph County Jail without bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Randolph County

Moberly manhunt called off after suspect is detained

November 2, 2026 10:49 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Multiple law enforcement agencies were looking for someone near Moberly Regional Medical Center, according to a Monday night social media post from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. The post says law enforcement is conducting an “active manhunt,” and that residents should expect to see a heavy law enforcement presence. An updated social

Man seriously hurt in Randolph County crash

November 2, 2026 7:42 AM Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 19-year-old Salisbury man was seriously hurt during a crash in Randolph County at 1 a.m. Sunday. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, an 18-year-old Ashland man was driving a 2023 Ford F-150 east on County Road 1130, three miles north of Clifton Hill, with the 19-year-old as a

Sherwood Glen residents face eviction after loss of USDA assistance

October 30, 2026 5:15 PM Stephi Smith

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ) Some residents at Sherwood Glen Apartments are facing eviction after losing access to a federal rental assistance program. Tenants at Sherwood Glen Apartments, located at 1000 S. William St. in Moberly, previously received rental assistance through a U.S. Department of Agriculture program designed to help lower-income households in rural communities afford housing.

Moberly Fire Department hosts ceremony for new fire station

October 27, 2026 3:16 PM Demetra Alarcon

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ) Moberly marked progress toward opening its first new fire station since 1977 on Tuesday. The Moberly Fire Department held a “topping off” ceremony for a new fire station at 1445 S. Morley St., which is set to open in May 2027. People at the event Tuesday signed a steel beam that will

Juvenile charged with murder in Randolph County girl’s death denied bond

October 19, 2026 6:49 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A 17-year-old boy who is charged with murder in a Randolph County girl’s death was denied bond after a Monday hearing. Christopher R. Woods-Bloss is charged in Randolph County with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and first-degree kidnapping. He was denied a bond during a hearing on Monday, court filings show. A

Riley’s Mobile Home Park residents regain water after 10-day outage

October 19, 2026 4:52 PM Stephi Smith

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ) Some residents at Riley’s Mobile Home Park had running water in their homes again Monday after going about 10 days without service. The City of Moberly had shut off the park’s water supply after discovering raw sewage contamination. During the outage, United Way of Randolph County donated ready-to-eat meals, bottled water and

Moberly first-degree murder case moves forward after preliminary hearing

October 15, 2026 2:48 PM Demetra Alarcon, Demetra Alarcon

HUNSTVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) The trial of a Moberly man charged with murder will proceed, a judge ruled Thursday. Christopher Viley, 51, appeared Thursday before Judge Garreth Cooksey for his preliminary hearing at the Randolph County Courthouse. Cooksey ruled that there’s enough probable cause to move forward with the case, moving it up to circuit court.

Work starts at Moberly mobile home park where residents have been without water

October 14, 2026 5:07 PM Stephi Smith

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ) Work began on the water system at a Moberly mobile home park Wednesday, several days after residents stopped receiving clean water in their homes. Residents at Riley’s Mobile Home Park in Moberly have been without running water for about five days. Some say the outage is part of a yearslong pattern of

Teen Randolph County murder suspect pleads not guilty

October 8, 2026 10:47 AM Matthew Sanders

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) A 17-year-old pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges in the death of his on-again, off-again girlfriend Thursday. Christopher Woods-Bloss is charged in the death of 16-year-old Kayla Huff, whose body was found this spring in a Randolph County conservation area. Woods-Bloss and Huff had been in a relationship multiple

Juvenile charged with first-degree murder in Randolph County teen’s death

October 6, 2026 11:24 AM Matthew Sanders, Demetra Alarcon

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

Judge considers request to move Moberly murder suspect’s trial out of Randolph County

September 30, 2026 5:45 AM Jazsmin Halliburton

RANDOLPH COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) A woman charged in connection with the death of 16-year-old Kayla Huff is set to appear in a Randolph County Courtroom to learn if a judge will move the case to a different county. Alayna Mason, 20, of Moberly, is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping in the death of

Former Randolph County sheriff pleads not guilty to felony charge

September 16, 2026 5:39 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Former Randolph County Sheriff Aaron Wilson pleaded not guilty to a felony charge on Wednesday. Wilson was charged in July with stealing more than $750. He waived his arraignment on Wednesday and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. The probable cause statement in the case says current

Moberly man charged after shooting pit bull in December

September 15, 2026 3:27 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Moberly man was charged with a felony and a misdemeanor on Friday after he allegedly admitted to shooting and killing a pit bull in December. Joshua Kendall was charged with driving while revoked and misdemeanor animal abuse. A criminal summons was issued on Monday and an arraignment is scheduled for 9

Man charged with murder in Moberly teen’s death has case moved to Linn County

September 14, 2026 6:10 PM Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A man who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Moberly teenager had his case moved to Linn County on Friday, according to court filings. Hunter Ames is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, tampering with evidence, second-degree burglary and first-degree property damage in the death of Kayla Huff.

Former Moberly daycare owner pleads guilty to child endangerment ahead of trial

August 31, 2026 12:40 PM Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – A former daycare operator pleaded guilty to four felonies Monday ahead of her bench trial on child abuse charges in Randolph County. Naomi Hess pleaded guilty on Monday to four counts of first-degree child endangerment. The class D felonies carry a maximum seven-year prison sentence. Hess will be sentenced on November

Judge delays decision after preliminary hearing in Moberly teen’s death

August 28, 2026 3:28 PM Melissa Houston

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) A detective testified about the role a man accused of evidence tampering played in the events that led to a Randolph County teenager’s death during the suspect’s preliminary hearing Friday. Judge Mason Gebhardt said Friday that he would consider binding Julian Mason over for trial after Mason’s preliminary hearing. His next court