Month: August 2025

Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A discrimination lawsuit filed by the former warden of Jefferson City Correctional Center provides details about the workings of the facility, including when multiple inmates died by homicide.

The lawsuit filed by Doris Falkenrath, the warden at JCCC from April 2021 until June 2024, claims that she was discriminated against for her race, gender, age and disability.

Falkenrath claims that when she took over as warden, she experienced a hostile environment. Her lawsuit states that operational issues and staffing shortages got worse while she was at JCCC.

“JCCC faced increasing safety risks, including offender deaths due to fentanyl overdoses, suicides, and other causes. Staff were regularly assaulted, and gang activity increased,” the lawsuit states.

Falkenrather claims staff suffered injuries, attacks and “escalating security incidents” during 2022 and 2023, but her superiors didn’t lend her proper support. This includes three offender homicides, documents state.

A superior called the “director” is listed in documents by the initials “A.P.” Former Department of Corrections Director Anne Precythe announced her retirement in November 2023.

Falkenrath’s lawsuit also details the time around when Othel Moore Jr. died in custody and the use of the Correctional Emergency Response Team. 

Petition for DamagesDownload

The CERT members were dispatched to JCCC as part of a callout at Falkenrath’s request after a homicide and other violent incidents in October 2023, according to documents. The “callout” was scheduled for Dec. 8, 2023.

Falkenrath said she was not at the prison at the time because of a funeral, but the deputy warden later told her about Moore’s death. Moore is not mentioned by name in the lawsuit, and any names of the other employees are labeled as initials.

Falkenrath claims that after Moore’s death, detectives from Cole County requested video footage, and that when she reached out to provide the footage, she never heard from the investigator. That is when she said another official told her the investigator would instead be working with detectives.

The lawsuit claims she cooperated with officials from Cole County when asked, but felt that she was being blamed.

The lawsuit says Falkenrath also filed a complaint about alleged discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

In June, Falkenrath said the deputy director told her she was being disciplined for Moore’s death, alleging that she didn’t cooperate with the Cole County Sheriff’s Office.

Falkenrath is suing the department on six counts of discrimination based on race, gender, age and disability, along with hostile work environment and illegal retaliation.

A spokesperson told ABC 17 News that the Department of Corrections does not comment on litigation.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Marshall woman has been charged after she was accused of driving on the wrong way of Highway 65 while intoxicated.

Lauren Ngaue, 32, is charged with aggravated fleeing a stop causing physical injury, second-degree assault, DWI resulting in serious physical injury, armed criminal action and two traffic misdemeanors.

Court documents state Pettis County deputies were informed about a wrong-way driver southbound on Highway 65 in the northbound lanes. Deputies said they saw the car as it was driving 90 miles per hour, head-on towards their patrol cars.

Deputies used spike strips to disable three of the tires at the intersection of Highway 65 and Highway HH. The driver, identified as Ngaue, continued to drive away from law enforcement with their lights on, leading to a chase.

Still in the wrong lanes, the driver hit another car, causing damage to both cars, according to documents.

Ngaue was taken into custody after she was checked out by EMS and refused any care.

Deputies said she smelled of alcohol, was moving slowly and had slurred speech. She allegedly told them she had several beers and “shooters” of alcohol that were found in the car.

The other driver was placed into a C-collar and taken to Bothwell Regional Health Center after they were extricated from the vehicle. Deputies also reported the driver had blood running down her face.

Ngaue was on probation for assault and DWI, according to records.

She is being held at the Pettis County Jail without bond.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

State Road M is back open after it was closed for several hours following a crash with a semi-truck.

Callaway County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post that State Road M in Callaway County was closed north of Interstate 70 and south of Hatton-McCredie School.

The road was closed for several hours while tow companies worked to remove a semi-truck that was carrying anhydrous ammonia.

North Callaway County Fire Chief Matt Walton told ABC 17 News the road reopened just after 7 p.m.

Some bus routes for North Callaway R1 were adjusted because of the closure.

Callaway County deputies, North Callaway County Fire Protection District and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were on scene for traffic control and safety.

The driver was not reported to be hurt.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A new crossing arm will be installed in Moberly as part of a project to make crossing safer.

Norfolk Southern Railroad will be adding a cross arm to Coates St. westbound lane to keep drivers from stopping between the two sets of tracks.

This means Moulton St. traffic will now be one-way going north from Coates to Farror. It will return to two-way traffic after Farror.

The city will also be constructing new sidewalks across Coates. Norfolk Southern Railroad will install the railguards.

After construction is done, the city will paint angled parking spots along half of Moulton to allow for more parking for the nearby stores.

Work is expected to be done in early December.

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