Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sedalia man has been charged with manslaughter in Morgan County in relation to a Sept. 16 crash that killed two people.

Ruvim Izotia was charged on Monday with two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of driving while using a phone, one count of second-degree assault and three misdemeanors: Driving while using an electronic device, following another vehicle too closely and speeding.

A warrant for his arrest was issued on Monday and a $100,000 bond was set.   

The probable cause statement claims Izotia caused the crash with his Mercedes. Previous reporting shows an 18-year-old Sedalia man allegedly rear-ended a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Class S a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt driven by a 48-year-old Cole Camp woman. The crash occurred on Highway 50 near Old Highway 50.

The hit pushed the Chevrolet into the oncoming lane, which caused another crash into a 2012 Mazda 3 – driven by a 38-year-old Russellville man, the report says.

The Russellville man was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 45-year-old Versailles man who was a passenger was pronounced dead at a hospital.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper requested data from each vehicle, which allegedly showed the Chevrolet slow down from 57 miles per hour to 28 miles per hour, and then speed up again by 25 miles per hour after it was hit, the statement says.

Information from Life360 allegedly indicated there were 19 “distracted driving events” involving Izotia’s phone during the 21-minute trip, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Wellsville man was charged with two felonies after he was accused of sexually abusing a girl on Dec. 7.

Noah Smith, 18, was charged on Monday in Montgomery County with first-degree sodomy and sex abuse. He is being held at the jail without bond, though a mugshot was not immediately available. An arraignment was held on Tuesday and Smith appeared by video from the jail. A counsel status hearing was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 and an attorney asked for a bond to be set.

The probable cause statement says the victim was given alcohol by another person described as “Suspect 2.” Court filings show a woman, Elizabeth Mize, gave alcohol to the minor victim and other youth.

Mize was charged with two counts of misdemeanor providing alcohol to a minor and a summons was issued for her on Tuesday.

The statement says the victim allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .11, which is higher than the legal limit to drive. Court documents claim Smith assaulted the victim twice and the victim had to remove his hands from various areas of her body.

During the last occurrence, the victim allegedly kicked Smith and locked herself in a bathroom to avoid him, the statement says. Once a ride arrived for the victim, Smith allegedly refused to let her leave, the statement says.

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Haley Swaino

COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A late Cole County farmer owners’ land is set to be auctioned on Feb. 7, even though he intended it to become a county park.

After a large group of family, friends and neighbors of Lawrence Renn Jr. showed up to continue their fight to stop the sale of the Elston farmland at Tuesday’s commission meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to reopen talks with Renn’s trust bank.

Renn created a trust that stated 178 acres of his farm — located off Route T and Elston Road in Elston– would be leased to the county after his death for $1 a year. He died in 2021. But the county broke the 99-year lease after the bank told them how much money was available to develop and maintain the park.

“When we asked if there were going to be some funds available to help us develop this, we were told no,” Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman said. “The land was basically his gift and that would be like $15,000-to-$20,000.”

Bushman said taking that much money out of the county parks budget would not be doable.

“We did not have the funds to do it, so that is why we notified Hawthorn trust that we respectfully declined this gift,” Bushman said.

The county then went to court and withdrew from the trust, and the bank put the land up for auction.

But family and friends insisted millions was in the bank, specifically intended for the park.

“There’s some miscommunication between the bank and Cole County about the amount of funds available for the development of this park,” neighbor Tony Brenneke said.

Bushman said he reached out to the bank last week about the money available.

“It’s the same amount last week they gave me that they gave us in 2024,” Bushman said. “The $3-to-$4 million, I don’t know where it is or what it can be used for, but it’s not being offered for the park.”

And that’s the issue commissioners are hoping Hawthorn Bank will sit down and clarify for them before the land is sold.

“If they say, ‘No, this $3-to-$4 million is going to be used for this or something else and it’s not available for you,’ then so be it,” Bushman said. “A lot’s going to hinge on what conversations we can perhaps have with Hawthorn Bank before Feb. 7.”

Tony Brenneke said there is one glaring concern that could cost them the land.

“One big question that we’re left is is kind of why Hawthorn Bank not being 100% forthcoming with the county about what assets are available to develop this park,” Brenneke said.

The group at Tuesday’s meeting left clapping and thanking the commission, hopeful the bank will be receptive to talks.

“Conversations between the bank and grantor, Lawrence Renn, before his passing as well as certain language in the trust, mandated that the trust was not to be the sole source of funding for the development and maintenance of the park and that it be a collaborative effort between the trust and the county,” Hawthorn Bank said in a statement.

The bank said its worked over the past few years to exhaust all options, while still maintaining the language in his trust.

“Ultimately, both the Cole County Commission and Missouri State Parks declined to accept the gift of the conveyance of the land for the park, citing insufficient personnel and funding to undertake such a project,” the statement said.

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Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) –

The Supreme Court of Missouri upheld a state law banning minors from receiving gender-affirming.

The high court sided with a Cole County judge’s decision to uphold the law that bans children from procedures like sex change surgeries or prescribing hormone therapy to help with gender transitions. The law went into effect in August 2023.

Those challenging the law had claimed a violation of equal protection and due process.

The Missouri Supreme Court referred to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld a similar Tennessee law last year.

The court struck down the argument that the state’s SAFE Act discriminated based on protected classes, transgender status and sex, by ruling that the act only classifies by age and medical use, accoridng to the opinion.

The court also ruled the act does not violate parents’ rights to make decisions about their children’s health care.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway celebrated the decision.

“By upholding the SAFE Act, the Missouri Supreme Court confirmed the legislature’s authority to safeguard the health and well-being of our state’s most vulnerable citizens,” Hanaway wrote in a statement.

The ACLU of Missouri, which fought against the law in court, called the decision “a harmful ban that singles out transgender Missourians.”

University of Missouri Health Care stopped providing gender-affirming care in August 2023.

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Ryan Shiner

JEFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe during his State of the State address on Tuesday recognized the law enforcement officers who exchanged gunfire and killed a Ralls County homicide suspect last year.

Kehoe recognized Randolph County Sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Nathan West, Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dustin Harrison and Sgt. Derrick Powell while promoting the “Safer Missouri” initiative.

Charles Armour was accused of killing Jonathan Floyd, 55, of Perry, Missouri in Ralls County. Lois and Patty Armour were accused of hiding Charles Armour in their home before his shootout with law enforcement on Oct. 12, 2025.

The probable cause statements in the women’s cases says that law enforcement went to a residence in relation to the homicide investigation on Sunday and spoke with both women. The women allegedly claimed Charles Armour was not at the residence, court documents say.

Law enforcement was given permission to search the home and found Charles Armour in a bathroom with a handgun, the statement says. He then fired at the responding officers and hit a Randolph County deputy, the statement says.

Kehoe said in his speech that West has since returned to duty after being shot. Kehoe said Powell drove West to the Moberly Regional Air Evac Helipad so he could be flown to a hospital.

West, Powell and Harrison were given a standing ovation by lawmakers on Tuesday.

Patty and Lois Armour are both charged with felony murder in the Monroe County case, and Lois Armour faces an additional charge of hindering a felony prosecution. Both women pleaded not guilty during hearings at Monroe County last week. They have a hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man accused of killing another person is now in custody.

The Jefferson City Police Department said in a Tuesday afternoon press release that Malcolm Mayes turned himself in on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Police were searching for Mayes after he allegedly shot and killed a person on Friday. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.

Jeremy Greer was identified as the shooting victim to ABC 17 News on Tuesday by his sister Kathleen Greer.

Mayes was charged in Cole County with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and illegal gun possession.

Court filings show that charges were filed on Saturday, but the case was sealed on Casenet because Mayes was not in custody and the prosecutor’s office felt that the investigation could have been undermined or that evidence could be destroyed in the meantime.

According to the release, police were called to the 800 block of Mulberry Street just after 4 p.m. Friday after receiving reports that someone had been shot. Witnesses on scene told police the victim, later learned to be Greer, had been shot during a fight and was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle.

Police said the 39-year-old Jefferson City resident was found at the Capital Region Medical Center. They were later flown to University Hospital in Columbia where he died.

The probable cause statement says police were called at 4:08 p.m. Friday to the 800 block of Mulberry Street for a reported shooting. The caller had identified Mayes as the shooter, the statement says.

Greer drove himself to a hospital and police were not able to speak with him, though the officer in the probable cause statement noted seeing a gunshot wound in Greer’s abdomen. He was pronounced dead at 7:10 p.m., the statement says.

The probable cause statement says prior to the shooting, a woman identified as Mayes girlfriend claimed they had been arguing for a week. Mayes allegedly cut the braids out of the woman’s hair during an argument, the statement says.

Mayes allegedly picked up that woman – who is described as Witness 1 in court documents – the morning of the shooting while he had another woman in his vehicle. The three were heading to another person’s home, the statement says.

Court documents said Witness 1 asked Mayes to take her back to Mulberry Street. Once they arrived back to the home in the 800 block of Mulberry Street, Mayes allegedly held Witness 1 at gunpoint and told her to “go get” the victim’s girlfriend, but she declined, the statement says.

Mayes allegedly walked to the front door of the home asking for Greer and the door was slammed in his face, the statement says. Court documents do not say who answered the door.

Witness 1 described Greer as a brother, though they are not related biologically, the statement says.

Greer later was seen coming from the side of the residence before a gunshot rang out, court documents allege. The witness allegedly saw Mayes “jump in the air with the gun in his hand before running back to his vehicle,” according to the statement.

A second witness gave similar details to police as the first witness, court documents show. A third witness allegedly heard Mayes yell “told you I ain’t playing with you” after the shot was fired, the statement says. Police noted that additional witnesses were interviewed and gave similar accounts of what happened.  

A friend of Greer tells ABC 17 News he would have given the shirt off his back to anyone.

“He was very, very active in the community. He loved the people that loved him,” Juquon Terrill said. “He would definitely go to bat for you, for sure.”

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Mizzou Tigers will host Auburn at Mizzou Arena on Wednesday as conference play continues.

The Tigers are coming off an SEC loss to Ole Miss.

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Matthew Sanders

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to specify the death was a stabbing.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife.

Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson wrote in a news release that Malang J. Akbari, 46, is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and child endangerment for the stabbing of his wife. He was in the Cole County Jail without bond on Tuesday.

Police found the victim bleeding and unresponsive at the family’s McCarty Street address Monday. Akbari, who left the scene before police arrived, was found in Pettis County, the release says. His 18-month-old boy was found safe with relatives.

A probable cause statement says Akbari believed his wife was cheating on him and tampering with his food.

The statement says Akbari called another one of his sons, and admitted to killing his wife and said he had left the house. The son found his mother bleeding on the kitchen floor and she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the statement.

“It started because the older son came out and he was on the phone and he was screaming, ‘my mom, my mom,’ And she [my daughter] started asking, ‘What’s that? What’s happening? What’s going on?’ So that’s how we were kind of first alerted to the situation,” Neighbor Christy Boos said.

ABC 17 News spoke with four neighbors in the area who said Monday’s attack was unusual for the area, and safety isn’t typically a concern. Two of the neighbors also considered Akbari and his family to be quiet.

Ryan Boos told ABC 17 News that the news was shocking, adding that Akbari was “a stand-up guy.” They added that Akbari’s family had lived in the area for around four years and they have helped the community several times.

Ryan said that Akbari and his sons have previously helped their family dig out their car when it was stuck in the snow and move a fallen tree off the car after a storm.

Ryan adds that a child was hit by a car in the area, and Akbari gave the child medical attention before emergency services arrived. The child later fully recovered at the hospital.

“We’re kind of half down the street and him and his sons came out and helped shovel us free, so real good family,” Ryan Akbari said. “They present themselves like pretty stand-up people and always helping out the community, even though maybe the community misunderstood them.”

Akbari admitted to stabbing his wife during an argument in the kitchen about cheating, the statement says. He then dropped the baby off at his brother’s house, telling him, “I loved her. I sacrificed everything for her … I made a mistake. I do regret this. There was no other option for me.”

An Amber Alert was sent out after the stabbing, but was later canceled after the child was found safe at the brother’s house.

A neighbor told ABC 17 News that the family had lived there for a few years.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The federal government has released money for child care providers that had been held pending a closer review, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said Tuesday.

DESE wrote in a social media post that all the subsidy funds that had been delayed have now been received. A DESE spokesperson said the agency had received $20 million from the federal government in the past two days.

The federal Administration for Children and Families held the funds last month and asked for justification for the money after a viral video alleged massive fraud by Somali daycare owners in Minneapolis. The investigation also led President Donald Trump’s administration to suspend $10 billion in federal funds that were supposed to go to five Democratic states, a move that was blocked by a federal judge on Friday. 

DESE said Friday that more than half of state child care providers were affected by the delay.

Child care providers should see payments by Jan. 20, the state says.

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Haley Swaino

COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cole County Commission decided on Tuesday dogs at Brooks, County and Thoenen parks must be kept on leashes.

After a resident complaint about a loose dog in a county park in fall 2025, commissioners voted unanimously to pass an animal leash and waste ordinance for all three county parks.

There is no leash law that covers all of Cole County, according to the city’s website. Whether pets are leashed depends on county or specific municipality ordinances.

“Urban Service Areas, such as Westview Heights, and county municipalities may be subject to leash laws,” the county says.

The commission moved forward on the decision to set an ordinance last month.

In Jefferson City, dogs are required to be on leashes at all city-owned parks, except the North Jefferson Recreation Area Dog Park.

After the loose dog complaint in Cole County and community support, the parks committee recommended in December that the county have a leash rule for its parks. Cole County attorney Jill LaHue said she and the public works department would work on language for the new rules.

“All pet animals within a Cole County park shall remain under the immediate control of the owner at all times,” the ordinance states. “All pet animals at a Cole County park shall be on a lease at all times within park boundaries, except in clearly marked designated off-leash areas.”

Cole County Public Works Director Eric Landwehr said off-leash areas could include any future county dog parks.

The ordinance also says any person in charge or control of a pet animal must remove its waste and throw it away in “designated receptacles.”

Not leashing a pet or properly throwing away its waste will result in a fine up to $400.

Tuesday’s Cole County Commission meeting began at 9 a.m.

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