Columbia man denied new trial; sentenced for assault and kidnapping
Olivia Hayes
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A former pro-baseball player from Columbia was denied a new trial at his sentencing hearing on Monday.
Blake Tekotte, 38, was found guilty by a jury in July of second-degree domestic assault and kidnapping. The judge sentenced him to 10 years in the Department of Corrections, but he could have the possibility of being released earlier.
Court documents say he attacked a woman and held her against her will in November 2023. He also threw the victim’s phone before pinning her against the wall and hitting her.
Tekotte was sentenced to seven years for the domestic assault charge and three years for the kidnapping charge. The judge ordered the terms run consecutively for a total of 10 years.
The judge also ordered that Tekotte participate in a 120-day program while in the Missouri Department of Corrections. If he completes the program successfully, he will be released after 120 days and be on probation. Melissa Buchanan, Boone County’s First Prosecuting Attorney, explained that Tekotte would also be expected to be screened for and participate in one of the Boone County treatment courts.
Attorneys for Tekotte argued that the jury pool in the July trial was tainted. Court documents filed said that his lawyers claim the state referenced a previous incident at the Lake of the Ozarks that Tekotte was involved in but never charged for. His legal team also alleged that witnesses of the state referenced a video of that incident, when the video was not allowed in court.
They also said a witness communicated to the jury during a sidebar between attorneys and the judge when the attorneys were not paying attention. Ultimately, Judge Jacobs sided with the state’s argument and denied an acquittal of the charges or a new trial.
He also can not have contact with the victim in this matter.
His victim gave a statement in the courtroom. Buchanan said that the woman’s statement spoke to how insidious cases of domestic violence can get.
“This wasn’t the first incident; these things don’t happen in a vacuum. She came forward, we believed her, the jury believed her, and it was a good outcome, but she did have to go through that process. It’s a painful process,” Buchanan said.
Tekotte was also charged earlier this year in a separate case with first-degree kidnapping and third-degree domestic assault involving a different victim and a separate incident.
Tekotte will face a Boone County judge on Oct. 10th for those pending charges.