State plays footage of police interrogation in Jefferson City murder trial
By Marie Moyer
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) — The former Jefferson City Police Detective took the stand Tuesday during the bench trial for suspected killer Sergio Sayles.
“When I said she was dead and then murdered, there was no follow-up of how or anything like that and through my experience of death notifications, through all the different reactions, that’s a very common response,” said Jeremy Bowman, a former JCPD detective on Sayles’ case and administrator of the critical investigations unit in the Department of social services Children’s division.
During the prosecution’s video of the interrogation, Sayles claimed he and the victim, Jasmine King were no longer in a relationship at the time of the murder, only communicating due to having shared custody of their child.
“I don’t even understand why I’m here, honestly,” Sayles said. “I don’t have much love for her after everything that’s gone on over the years, but I don’t hate her.”
He added during the interrogation that his DNA wouldn’t be found mixed with blood at the scene. Bowman testified that he confiscated a ring from Sayles following his arrest. The ring, which had King’s blood on it, was later documented as evidence.
Bowman also reported from phone records that Sayles sent King a text the morning of the murder, saying he was going to a park. The text was delivered but never read by King. When cross-examined by the defense, Bowman confirmed the presence of a music-producing program on Sayles’ phone. The defense later clarified that the program had activity on it at around 8:30 a.m., around the time of the murder.
Dr. Keith Norton, deputy medical examiner for Boone and Callaway counties, testified that King had defensive wounds on her hands, adding that fingernail samples are always collected for those injuries.
During testimony Monday, defense attorneys questioned the investigative work of the Jefferson City Police Department after fingernail and fingerprint samples from the scene were not processed by the department’s lab.
“Yes, we try to collect nail clippings in each homicide,” Norton said.
Bowman later reported that the lab already had samples of evidence that contained Sayles’ and King’s DNA together, as well as Sayles’ fingerprints in a database and denied the samples.
Norton also said the victim had more than 25 stab wounds on her face, head, neck, torso and back. He also noted that she had life-threatening wounds on her upper right chest, neck and on her torso that struck her aorta and carotid artery.
In April 2023, police found Jasmine King dead from multiple stab wounds in her home on West Ashley Street in Jefferson City. Witness statements and surveillance video reportedly connected Sayles to the crime scene.
Officers also reported seeing Sayles going into a nearby park’s bathroom holding an unknown item in his hand and walking out without it. The bathroom was later searched twice following Sayles’ arrest, where police found a plastic bag in the trash can of the women’s restroom. Inside the bag, police found a bloody knife, clothing that was seen on Sayles’ YouTube channel with Jasmine’s blood on it, a white shirt with Sayles’ DNA and a piece of paper that had Sayles’ phone number written on it.
King had previously reported harassment and stalking by Sayles, including a complaint in 2021 where she alleged that Sayles threatened to shoot her.
Defense witnesses are expected to testify on Wednesday.
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