Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Marshall Police Department wrote in a Thursday social media post that a man and three juveniles robbed a youth at gunpoint on Wednesday afternoon.

The post claims Daylen Bankovich, 18, of Sedalia, and three juveniles met with the victim and later pointed a gun at them and demanded they give up clothing and personal items while at a park. One of the people allegedly hit the victim in their head with the gun before leaving in a vehicle, the post says.

Law enforcement got the vehicle’s license plate number from the park’s camera system and all four people were detained after a chase, the post says.

Bankovich was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, stealing, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and aiding a runaway, the post says. Charges were not filed on Casenet on Thursday afternoon. Bankovich is being held at the Saline County Jail on a 24-hour hold, according to online jail records.

The post says the juveniles are awaiting legal action from the Saline County Juvenile Office.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri lawmakers are considering two bills that would require summer and day camps to be licensed and create emergency plans for inclement weather.

The bill was prompted by a deadly Texas flood that killed 27 girls at Camp Mystic in July 2025.

Rep. Cameron Parker (R-Campbell) introduced the legislation in the House, known as the Summer and Day Camp Emergency Response Act, at the end of January, and it has been assigned to a committee.

Sen. Nicholas Schroer (R-St. Charles County) filed a similar bill with the name “Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act” on Monday.

On Thursday, Parker said she met with two fathers whose daughters died in the deadly Texas flood.

Both bills would require camps to create emergency response plans, which would be approved annually by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Camps would need to make several emergency plans for different scenarios, including:

A lost camper

A fire

Severe injury, illness, accident or death

Water emergency

An epidemic

Unknown person on camp property

Natural disaster

If passed, the bills would require the camp to monitor safety alerts from the National Weather Service, and establish communication procedures with law enforcement, camp staff and parents. Once approved, the camp would also need to instruct campers and staff on how to respond in emergencies.

According to the Campaign for Camp Safety, a group of parents whose children died in the Texas floods, many states either don’t require camps to be licensed or don’t hold camps to school standards.

Blake Bonner’s daughter, Lila Bonner, was among the 27 campers who died during the historic flash flood during the 2025 Fourth of July weekend.

“All we knew at first was the Lila and the other girls were missing, and then, in my case, we found out she had passed,” Bonner told ABC 17 News on Thursday. “My entire world got turned upside down.”

Bonner said he and many other Camp Mystic parents got together after that to prevent a similar tragedy in Texas and other states.

“It became clear almost immediately, once we started doing a little fact-finding, that there is really just a few key tenants to ‘How do you make sure this never happens again?'” Bonner said.

Bonner’s answer is prevention, training, detection and response. Many of those elements are found in Missouri’s proposed legislation.

“Let’s make sure we don’t put our children in harm’s way, I think is the best way to summarize prevention,” Bonner said.

Training teaches people how to use preventive measures, Bonner said.

Bonner said a fire alarm is a good example of detection.

Finally, response is figuring out what to do in an emergency and having a plan in case of the worst.

“What became clear to all of us is that responding in the moment, in the middle of an emergency, is the absolute worst thing to do,” Bonner said.

The bills would also require camps to be licensed if they are caring for more than six children, which is standard for many childcare facilities. The current law doesn’t require camps that are “conducted in good faith primarily to provide recreation” to be licensed.

“Missouri doesn’t really have any type of comprehensive licensing or systems for camps,” Parker told ABC 17 News on Thursday. “So, really, there are no safety requirements in place in statute.”

Parker said after filing the bill, many other representatives from both sides of the aisle have expressed their support.

Parker also met with two parents whose daughters died in the flooding. She said her conversation with them reinforced her decision to file the bill.

“This bill had already been filed before I had even talked to them, and it just kind of drives home the fact that this is needed,” Parker said.  

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A report of shots being heard put five Columbia Public Schools buildings on secure status Thursday in south Columbia.

Columbia police spokesperson Colin Imhoff told ABC 17 News that officers responded to a report of shots heard around 12:30 p.m. around Southampton Drive. Officers did not find evidence of any gunshots being fired, Imhoff said.

The south Columbia schools, Rock Bridge High School, Rock Bridge Elementary School, Gentry Middle School, the Columbia Area Career Center and the Bethel Street Center were all put on secure status, the district said in a text message to families at about 1 p.m.

A follow-up message to families was sent at about 1:30 p.m. and stated that school functions were back to normal.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 24-year-old Columbia man arrested this week in Boone County is wanted for meeting a 13-year-old girl at an Illinois hotel for sex.

Clayton Newlon, 24, was charged Wednesday in Boone County with being a fugitive from out of state. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

Deputy Chief Ryan Hurst of the Mattoon, Illinois, Police Department said Newlon was wanted on accusations that he met the girl on Jan. 17 at a Mattoon hotel after talking to her on the social media app Snapchat, and then dropped her off the next day at her home in a neighboring town.

Mattoon is about an hour south of Champaign, Illinois.

The victim and her family reported the encounter to police on Jan. 21.

The affidavit says Newlon was wanted for aggravated criminal sexual conduct, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, grooming and traveling to meet a child.

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Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bill to strengthen protections for children against grooming and trafficking has cleared a Missouri House committee and is now headed to the Senate.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly and Macon).

The bill passed the full House on Monday with a 148–2 vote. Rep. Lewis described the two representatives who voted against it, Michael Davis and Bryant Wolfin, as “misguided.” According to Lewis, both lawmakers said they believe the bill has merit but argued on the House floor that it is unconstitutional and should be divided into separate pieces of legislation.

The bill will the measure would allow survivors of child sex trafficking to file lawsuits up to 20 years after turning 21, rather than the current 10-year window. It would also increase criminal penalties for child trafficking and for purchasing sex from minors.

According to attorney Jill Harper, civil recovery in child sexual abuse cases is often difficult because offenders are frequently incarcerated, deceased, or lack insurance coverage for intentional misconduct, making it hard to collect damages. Successful civil cases typically involve institutions, such as schools, churches, or agencies that failed in their duty to supervise, where negligence claims and insurance coverage may apply.

“We do handle childhood sexual abuse cases, but they are complex, fact-intensive, and often emotionally difficult for survivors. While statute-of-limitations analysis is sometimes a key component of the case, identifying a viable source of recovery is usually the central issue on whether or not it will be successful.” Harper said.

Included in the proposal is a provision known as the “Evie and Sophie’s Law,” which would establish a specific criminal offense for grooming a minor in Missouri.

According to Representative Ed Lewis, Evie and Sophie are sisters from Southwest Missouri who were groomed by their Taekwondo instructor. Law enforcement later discovered more than 17,000 emails sent from the abuser to the sisters.

Under current Missouri law, lawmakers said prosecutors were unable to pursue charges related specifically to grooming. The proposed legislation aims to close that gap. If passed, grooming a minor would be classified as a Class C felony. However, if the offense involves sexual activity, sexual performance, or a commercial sex act, the charge would be elevated to a Class B felony.

Anyone convicted under the law would be required to serve at least five years before becoming eligible for probation, parole, or any conditional release.

Lewis said that he supports positive role models in children’s lives, including coaches, teachers, and family members. However, he said the bill was written carefully to avoid misinterpretation or unintended consequences.

“Someone might construe some of the behaviors in a negative light. So we have to be specific enough,” Lewis said. “You don’t want to write laws and have unintended consequence and so we we’ve been very careful,”

Under the bill, a person 21 years or older could be charged if they knowingly and intentionally engage in ongoing behavior that includes at least one clearly sexual act or communication directed at a minor. The behavior must be such that a reasonable person would believe the intent is to prepare, condition, or manipulate the minor for sexual activity, sexual performance, or a commercial sex act.

Missouri does not have a specific law that makes grooming a minor a standalone crime, but Illinois does. On Wednesday, a Columbia man was charged in Boone County in connection with several alleged sex offenses committed in Illinois, including grooming.

“We want to see if we can prevent some of that. Sextortion and grooming are the pieces that would be even perhaps in front of that,” Lewis said.

According to Safe Home data from 2024, Missouri had 26,294 registered sex offenders, ranking among the states with the most registered offenders per 100,000 residents. The data also shows 91 child sex abuse victims per 100,000 children in the state.

Lewis said he would not be surprised if the number registered sex offenders increased five times more if the bill is approved by the Senate.

National Human Trafficking Hotline data indicate that the number of minors identified as trafficking victims in Missouri has slightly decreased in recent years but remains steady at around 100 cases annually:

2020: 102 cases

2021: 102 cases

2022: 102 cases

2023: 106 cases

2024: 94 cases

Lawmakers said their goal is for the bill to be the first approved by the Senate, which Lewis hopes will happen after spring break.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 75-year-old woman was pronounced dead at University Hospital on Wednesday after a crash on Highway 63 in Randolph County.

The woman, from Jacksonville, was driving a 2002 Buick LeSabre when she traveled into the path of a 2022 GMC Yukon at Highway 63 and Route K in Cairo a little before 7:30 p.m., according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. She was taken by ambulance to University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A 15-year-old girl in the car was flown to University Hospital by helicopter with serious injuries.

The Yukon driver, a 56-year-old woman from Green Castle, Missouri, suffered minor injuries. A passenger, a 59-year-old man also from Green Castle, suffered moderate injuries. Both were taken by ambulance to University Hospital.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission is set to meet Thursday evening to go over plans for potential developments in the city.

The P&Z Commission will meet at City Hall at 5:15 p.m. to go over four different requests for builds.

According to the meeting agenda, Lifehouse Church is looking to convert its building into a childcare facility at its location on the corner of Grant St. and Hough St.

The property owner, Vetter Holdings LLC, filed the second request. It’s looking to build 48 housing units at the intersection os Schotthill Woods Dr. and Eastland Dr.

Another request was filled by property owners that are on behalf of McBride Lans Growth LLC to create a 140-Lot residential development on Rock Ridge Road and Route C.

The final request to be discussed is a request filed by Eagle Enterprises LLC. The company is looking to build a storage unit and a building with a warehouse and shop that would be located at the intersection of Eastland Dr. and E. Elm St.

The meeting will be available to stream on the City of Jefferson’s meeting page on YouTube.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some of Columbia’s top leaders are looking into the possibility of implementing safety ambassadors in the downtown area.

According to records ABC 17 News obtained from the city, the idea was discussed during one of the meetings between city and University of Missouri leaders. The city began having the closed-door meetings after a Stephens College student was shot and killed downtown in September 2025.

Since then, the city has taken steps toward improving safety downtown.

According to downtown Executive Director Nickie Davis, the city began a proposal– called the “Block by Block” proposal in 2023. It is is made up of employees from the downtown district, who typically work cleaning the streets and sidewalks in the downtown area. One of their branches includes safety.

Davis said the district has seen a lot more interest in safety ambassadors since city leaders have increased their push for safety improvements downtown. Davis said the launch of the ambassadors are still in the works and needs to be approved by the Columbia City Council, but she’s hopeful they can be ready to go sometime in April. It does not appear on Monday’s council’s agenda.

Davis said the process can take a long time because it has to go through the university and the city’s legal teams. If approved, six ambassadors would be hired to work Thursday- Saturday from 5 p.m.-3 a.m. and would serve as an extra set eyes for the Columbia Police Department.

“They are unarmed people. We would not have them armed in any way but they would be there to let CPD know, ‘Hey there’s something going on in this corner. We need you guys down here,'” Davis said.

Davis said the ambassadors would have to go through intensive training. She also said they’ll work to ensure all street lights downtown are working properly and that all streets are lit. Davis said the city did a walkthrough with the vice president of “Block by Block” and found that 32 lights were out in the area. Those have all since been fixed, she said.

The ambassadors would also help with permitting for food trucks and carts that are in the downtown area.

“These are what I call nighttime managers of the downtown area. You know, as much as new officers that CPD has gotten which is wonderful, there is still a lot of Columbia that can’t be covered by all of CPD,” Davis said. “These guys will be the touchpoint– the direct go to for CPD should something start going on downtown.”

Davis said they’ll also work as touch points for bars and restaurants downtown, monitoring people who may become too drunk and ensuring they don’t go to another business and potentially start a fight.

“Seeing is believing. When you see people in uniform that are there to keep you safe, make sure that you’re getting into rides safely, then that’s going to be so wonderfully comforting to the people that are out at night,” Davis said.

Davis said the total program would cost roughly $300,000. The cost would be split up between The District, MU and the city. Davis said some of the funding from the CID was budgeted, while others are being taken from reserves.

Davis had previously told ABC 17 News The District was also considering getting businesses “No Trespassing” and “No Concealed Weapons” signs. She said that is currently in the design phase and hopes those will be completed in April and available to buy for any business downtown who may want them.

Records ABC 17 News obtained also show MU and Davis continue to send letters to downtown businesses asking them to sign letters of enforcement. Minutes from an October meeting show MU would work to encourage all 15 large downtown student housing apartment owners to complete the forms by Nov. 15, 2025 if they want to continue to be on the list of preferred housing options for students. December minutes show those letters were sent out.

A city spokesperson told ABC 17 News that the city will be pairing the renewal letters of enforcement with its business license renewal process. The first renewal letters will be sent out in May.

The university did not have additional information on that on Wednesday night.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri students are noticing new, bright-and-yellow signs popping up across campus and on high-traffic streets that are bringing attention to the school’s license-plate reading cameras.

The signs feature an image of a security camera and “High-Resolution License Plate Recognition In Use.”

An ABC 17 News reporter found several signs and what looks to be poles with traffic cameras on South Providence Road, College Avenue and University Avenue.

According to MUPD spokesperson Sarah Yoro-Massad, license plate readers have been in place on campus, with signs being added recently.

“The university maintains a number of cameras throughout the campus to enhance safety and security. The new signs are being installed to make the public aware of their use in locations where doing so can help deter crime,” Yoro-Massad said. “MUPD has access to license plate readers on campus. The cameras allow MUPD to identify motor vehicles that may be involved in criminal activity.”

Yoro-Massad aded the cameras are not Flock cameras, which is the brand used by the City of Columbia. Flock Safety cameras use automatic license plate readers to provide real-time alerts to law enforcement. Flock claims the cameras do not capture identifiable images of people or faces. All data is held for 30 days.

MUPD did not confirm if their cameras wipe data after a specific amount of time or when the cameras record. The department also did not disclose the number of cameras used due to security reasons.

Students shared mixed feelings towards the cameras, with some accepting potential privacy trade-offs for safety.

“I haven’t really noticed it, it’s not like it’s not that big a deal, there’s kind of cameras all over anyways,” MU student Miguel Pacheco said.

“Even if they were on 24/7, I’d personally be OK with that,” student Yule Yun said. “I guess individuals responsibility of driving and information being stored for a certain amount of time is less important than the safety and security of the campus that we have here for Mizzou.”

Other students voiced concern about personal comfort.

 “I do think it’s really odd having cameras watching you and your car where you should just feel free to just do what you can do, what you will,” student Sammy Besore said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Howard County Sheriff’s Office has canceled an Endangered Silver Advisory after a missing man was found safe.

The initial advisory said Douglas Wayne Witmer, 73, left a job site at 403 Reynolds St. in Fayette around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The updated advisory saying Witmer was found safe was sent at 8:16 p.m. Wednesday.

Witmer is 5-feet, 10-inches tall, weighs 230 pounds, has gray hair, brown eyes and may be wearing a baseball hat, a gray hoodie, khaki work pants and tan boots.

The release says he is diagnosed with dementia.

Anyone who sees Witmer is asked to either call the Howard County Sheriff’s Office at 660-248-3605 or 911.

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