Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man who was found guilty of stabbing the mother of his child to death has been sentenced to life in prison.

Sergio Sayles, 39, was found guilty last month in a bench trial for first-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with evidence in the death of Jasmine King. He was sentenced on Monday to life in prison without parole. He is currently being held at the Cole County Jail.

Police found King dead from stab wounds to her head, face, neck, torso and back in her home in the 300 block of West Ashley Street in April 2023, according to a probable cause statement in previous reporting.

King had previously reported harassment and stalking by Sayles, including a complaint in 2021 where she alleged that Sayles threatened to shoot her.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson told ABC 17 News in a text message that Sayles claimed he was framed on Monday during a closed court session.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City woman was accused of sending a nude photograph of another woman without their permission.

Emalee Murdock was charged in Cole County with nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images. A warrant was issued on Monday and a $2,500 bond was set.

The probable cause statement says the victim reported to law enforcement that Murdock sent an explicit photo of the victim to the victim on July 3.

The victim believes Murdock would have obtained the photo from a mutual acquaintance’s phone without that person knowing, the statement says.

“An investigative subpoena for the VOIP phone number used was obtained and served to the cell service provider,” court documents say. “The return data indicated that Defendant was the user of that number at the time. Additionally, the return data provided an email address associated with the account. The last login date according to the investigative subpoena was 07/04/2025, a day after the image was sent.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Vandalia, Missouri, man has been accused of repeatedly molesting and sodomizing a young child.

Anthony Holtkamp was charged in Audrain County on Monday with two counts of first-degree child molestation, one count of statutory sodomy of a child younger than 12 years old and a count of sexually exploiting a minor. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Audrain County Courthouse.

The probable cause statement says a witness on Sunday saw an explicit photograph of a youth on Holtkamp’s phone. The adult then asked a young child about it and the child allegedly told them details that described sexual abuse by Holtkamp.

Holtkamp allegedly admitted to molesting the child repeatedly over the course of “a couple of months,” the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 15-year-old boy was charged as an adult Monday in a March shooting in Mexico, Missouri.

Evander L. Clark of Mexico was charged Monday with conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action, third-degree assault and felony resisting arrest. Police say Clark was part of a plan to shoot up a residence on North Missouri Street in March.

A probable cause statement says another suspect, Casey Minter Jr., told officers that Clark had issues with people inside the home where the shooting occurred. The home was occupied by three people at the time of the shooting, and police found fired rounds inside, the statement says.

Police pulled Minter over the following month and found a Glock 9mm pistol that matched the casings and bullets found at the scene, according to the statement. A witness reportedly told police that Minter had bragged up shooting the house, even though he denied taking part in the shooting under interrogation.

Another witness said she was with Minter and Clark during the shooting, and that Clark fired the shots after Minter gave him the gun, according to the statement.

Minter was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action, endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree property damage, a misdemeanor.

Clark is being held without bond.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man arrested early Sunday after a standoff in south Columbia was charged Monday with 10 felonies, including armed criminal action.

Rodquel Jones, 21, of Columbia, was charged with six counts of first-degree harassment and one count each of unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and stealing a gun, according to online court records.

Columbia police began their investigation Saturday night after Jones’ mother and other family members who were gathered together for Thanksgiving weekend reported Jones making shooting threats via a video call and other messages, according to a probable cause statement.

Officers returned to the residence on Lighthouse Court in Columbia after dispatchers received multiple shots-fired calls, the statement says. When police then went to Jones’ Sieville Avenue residence, they heard a gun rack slide as if someone was loading a weapon, the statement says.

Jones then allegedly told officers he wasn’t coming out. A SWAT team later searched the residence and arrested Jones after about six hours.

Police say they found a gun in the residence that had been stolen from one of Jones’ relatives.

Jones remained in the Boone County Jail on Monday afternoon on no bond. An initial court hearing was set for Monday afternoon.

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Haley Swaino

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council voted to approve the construction of a snow-removal equipment building and taxiway at Jefferson City Memorial Airport on Monday.

The current buildings are not equipped to handle modern snow removal operations and are too small for the fire department’s new aircraft rescue and firefighting truck, which is expected to arrive in early 2026, according to city documents.

The upgrade aims to strengthen the airport’s snow removal and emergency operations and address insufficiencies with the current facilities. The new building is also designed to better accommodate the fire department’s new truck. The existing building would provide only a few inches of clearance for the vehicle.

The project is estimated to cost $526,000, with a grant agreement in place with the Missouri Department of Transportation to support the construction.

Monday’s council meeting was held at 6 p.m. at City Hall on East McCarty Street.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Snowfall began coating some Mid-Missouri roads by 9 a.m. Monday and continued well into the afternoon, leading to dozens of slide-offs and crashes and closing part of Interstate 70 for hours.

After light snowfall over the holiday weekend, a few more inches were expected to accumulate Monday, with high temperatures staying in the low to mid-20s. That snow will likely cause difficulties for commuters on Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Some areas could see snowfall of 4 to 6 inches.

Officials closed Route UU in western Boone County on Monday morning.

State highways in the western part of Mid-Missouri were at least partially covered in snow by 9 a.m. By noon Monday, most of the region’s highways were covered or partially covered in snow, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s traveler information map.

Interstate 70 was closed Monday morning at the Highway 65 exit for a tractor-trailer crash. Traffic was also slowed by a crash on I-70 westbound at the Boone and Callaway County line after a crash into the median.

The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office wrote on social media that several slide-offs happened Monday morning between the Millersburg and Williamsburg exits.

Boone County emergency management wrote in a social media post before 11 a.m. that crashes were picking up as roads became covered. Roads in Columbia had also become slick by late morning, with emergency dispatchers alerting the public to several vehicles stuck near Chapel Hill and Fairview roads.

Columbia Public Works warned residents to move vehicles from priority roads as accumulation approached 2 inches Monday afternoon. Troop F of the Missouri State Highway Patrol wrote on social media a little after noon that troopers were working 45 crash scenes on the area’s major highways.

Columbia Public Works Spokesman John Ogan told ABC 17 News via email Monday night that the city planned to have a 22-person crew work overnight to address conditions.

MSHP Sgt. Kyle Green said just before 3 p.m. that Troop F had responded to about 80 crashes and about 80 slide-offs since 10 a.m. Monday.

MSHP Troop A reported since 12 a.m. Monday they had responded to 84 stranded motorists, 80 crashes with no one hurt and 14 crashes with people hurt as a result, in a social media post.

Since 12:00 a.m., 12/1/25, Troop A has handled 216 calls for service including:

– 84 Stranded Motorists- 80 Non-injury Crashes- 14 Injury Crashes

As the snow continues to fall, avoid travel if possible. If you must drive, remember to take it slow, buckle up, & drive focused! pic.twitter.com/m4YCIbbcrX

— MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) December 1, 2025

LINK: Closures and delays

Several schools had also called early dismissals. Southern Boone will dismiss at 1 p.m., while Columbia Public Schools let families know that after-school activities were canceled for middle and high school students.

Mexico Public Schools was the first district to call off Tuesday classes.

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Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A shooting investigation in Jefferson City is drawing attention from millions across the country, as the family of Erik Spencer II continues to call for transparency.

Spencer was shot and killed on Nov. 1 in the 3500 block of Missouri Boulevard. Police records obtained by ABC 17 News show that officers were called to the area around 7:52 p.m. after a caller reported witnessing a man assaulting a woman. The caller and the dispatcher noted screaming coming from a vehicle. Within minutes, gunshots were reported, and by 8:02 p.m., emergency responders were performing CPR.

Police said Spencer died at the scene.

The Spencer family has turned to social media to raise awareness for Erik’s death, sharing videos, updates, and messages to the public. One video posted by a friend on TikTok has reached over 4 million views.

A report from the Congressional Research Service shows social media plays a growing role in criminal investigations. State and federal agencies have used public and, in some cases, private social media data to help build cases.

The report also shows:

89% of public-safety agencies use social media for community outreach

76% use it to solicit crime tips

72% use it to monitor public sentiment

70% use it for intelligence gathering

91% use it to share public-safety concerns

For Spencer’s sister, Ka’leen Spencer, social media has provided a platform to speak directly to the nation.

“If you’re concerned about someone being shot and killed in your community, you should be very concerned,” Ka’leen Spencer said. “No one knows who he [the suspect] is or what he looks like. It could be somebody walking down the street, and you don’t even know.”

The Jeffeson City Police Department said the person who shot Spencer has been cooperating during the investigation. ABC 17 News learned that authorities questioned a state employee, who is currently on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

“I think the nation should be interested. An unarmed Black man was shot and killed in broad daylight in a shopping center. That’s a human problem,” Ka’keen Spencer said.

As the case gained national attention on social media, ABC 17 News asked Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson about the heightened profile. Thompson said he cannot provide additional details while the investigation is ongoing.

“I will not compromise the integrity of the investigation or any potential prosecution by making extrajudicial comments in the media, which I am specifically barred from doing by Missouri’s Supreme Court Rules,” Thompson wrote in an email.

He confirmed that the Spencer family is being kept informed, but emphasized that no further information can be released at this time.

Ka’leen said public advocacy through social media is critical.

“Social media does wonders. Public outcry does wonders,” she said. “If prosecutors or the Jefferson City Police Department aren’t putting out a statement — then who will?”

The Spencer family plans to host a candlelight vigil Monday at 7 p.m. in front of Old Navy to mark one month since his death. Before the vigil, the family says they will attend the Jefferson City Council meeting to “stand for transparency.”

ABC 17 News reached out to the City of Jefferson City and the Jefferson City Police Department for comment.

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Jessica Hafner

The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert Day for the potential of accumulating snow that could cause roads to be slick through Tuesday morning.

A wave of low pressure has plunged out of the Rockies across the Plains and into the Midwest on Monday, triggering a wide swath of snow where temperatures have been below freezing.

1-3″ of snow has already fallen across the region, with an additional 1-2″ possible through late tonight. Winds will be light, but visibility could drop where snowfall rates are higher between 5-7:00 p.m.

We are closely monitoring for a band of potentially higher snowfall rates where better forcing will be possible. This band may increase snowfall rates enough to allow for localized 4-6″ amounts VERY near and to the north of I-70. Given some uncertainty, we’ll need to closely monitor the forecast for amount bumps near I-70. In our previous map, a more southern band showed potential to bring 2+ inches near I-44, but this looks to increasingly happen east of mid-MO, towards the south side of St. Louis.

Snow looks to exit to the east before midnight, but roads that are not treated will be slick overnight into Tuesday morning as temperatures will remain below freezing in the upper teens.

Make sure you have both the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather and news apps to keep an eye on the Futuretrack and any closings that may pop up as schools will be back in session this week following the Thanksgiving holiday.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

After a nearly seven-hour-long standoff early Sunday, police arrested a man in south Columbia.

A report of “shots fired” in the area of Sieville Avenue around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday led to an overnight standoff at an apartment building, Columbia Police Department spokesman Colin Imhoff said. No injuries were reported.

CPD posted on Sunday afternoon stating the standoff was connected to a scene in Boone County earlier that night. According to the post, police responded to a shots fired call in the 5600 block of Lightpost Court around 10:50 p.m.

Initial investigations led them to the 200 block of Sieville Avenue, where the suspect– Rodquel Jones, 21, of Columbia– was taken into custody around 6:30 a.m. by CPD’s SWAT team.

Rodquel Jones

The post says Jones barricaded himself inside of his home and refused to come out. He was arrested on charges of felony stealing, felony resisting arrest, armed criminal action, first-degree harassment and unlawful use of a weapon.

An ABC 17 News reporter arrived on scene around 2:30 a.m. and saw at least 15 CPD vehicles and a Bearcat SWAT vehicle surrounding the area.

An officer could be heard over a loud speaker saying, “Anyone inside apartment A4 needs to come outside.”

Repeated calls over the speaker yielded no results.

Around 5 a.m., officers broke a sliding glass door to the apartment. A cellphone was later thrown inside of the home and the suspect was asked to use it to talk with police.

At the scene, Imhoff told ABC 17 News that there was no threat to the public but that surrounding units had been evacuated.

CPD said it was “investigating a shots fired call” in the 200 block of Sieville Avenue at 3:15 a.m. and asked people to avoid the area in a Facebook post.

At least three police cars were seen on Sieville Avenue, and at least six more were along the road that runs perpendicular to it, Madrid Lane. An MU ambulance was also on scene.

A Boone County Joint Communications alert said East El Cortez Drive and Madrid Lane were closed in the area just before 12:45 a.m. An ABC 17 News reporter said Balboa Road was also closed just before 3 a.m.

Law enforcement left the scene a little after 8 a.m.

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