Jury hears opening statements during trial for fatal Holts Summit Shooting
Jazsmin Halliburton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The state presented its opening statement and two witnesses during Day 1 of the jury trial for a woman charged in a Holts Summit murder case.
Heather Smith, 38, is facing charges of second-degree murder, child endangerment, armed criminal action and three counts of unlawful use of a weapon after she is accused of shooting and killing 37-year-old Kara Dills. Smith claims the shooting was in self-defense.
On April 13, 2025, court documents say the shooting started with an argument between Smith and Dills at Hunter Lane Apartments. Attorneys settled on a 12-person jury with two alternates. There were six women and eight men.
During opening statements, the state alleged that prior to Dills’ attack, Smith pointed her gun at Dills mother and boyfriend before she confronted Smith herself.
The state reports Smith and Dills’ mother were residents of Hunter Lane Apartments. Tension began earlier in the day when children who were family members of Smith and Dills got into an altercation in the parking lot while riding bikes.
Video surveillance showed Smith threatening witnesses with a pistol before the shooting. One witness allegedly tried to disarm her after she pointed the gun at several people, but was not successful. Documents say that her 8-year-old son was standing next to her during the altercation.
The state alleged that Smith first pointed a gun at Dills’ mother in front of Dills and her sister. When Dills went to confront Smith, Smith then later pointed the gun at Dills’ boyfriend, causing Dills to go to her car and get her gun.
“Kara confronts Heather about Heather threatening Kara’s mother and Kara’s niece with a gun,” assistant prosecuting attorney Sandra Colhour said. “She withdrew from the altercation and she had, until that point, by all accounts been unarmed.”
Dills allegedly then pistol-whipped Smith on the forehead, documents say. The gun went off, grazing a man on his head, according to the probable cause statement. After Dills lowered her gun and started to walk away, Smith shot her in the stomach, the statement says. She later died.
Smith’s attorneys deferred their opening arguments.
The state also brought two witnesses, Major Curtis Hall and Sergeant Alan LeBel of the Callaway County Sheriff’s office and a neighbor of Hunter Lane Apartments who provided camera footage of the event.
“This is a relatively small apartment complex,” Hall said. “Obviously, somebody had just died. It was what I would consider a powder keg of emotions.”
Smith’s jury trial is set to continue through Friday in the Boone County Courthouse with Judge Hasbrouck Jacobs, after a venue change was granted.
The court will reconvene on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.