Author: KMIZ

Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As of Monday, the Columbia Police Department has documented fewer than 7,400 crimes in Columbia in 2025, according to CPD’s crime dashboard.

During the investigation of each crime, police try and collect evidence to build a case. This evidence can include conversations, eye witness testimony and physical evidence such as documents, shell casings, surveillance video or a weapon.

CPD Lt. Matt Gremore said every officer has plastic gloves and evidence bags inside their cars.

“When I was a patrol officer, I would carry a box of these in my car just to have in case because they’re great for multiple reasons,” Gremore said. “If you’re picking up evidence or dealing with somebody bleeding, the gloves can protect your more, so there’s a lot of reasons you would want them.”

He said the biggest reason is to make sure police don’t contaminate the evidence they’re collecting at a crime scene. Gremore said once evidence is collected at a crime scene, it’s typically placed in a paper or plastic bag.

He said paper is used for DNA evidence for items that would mold in plastic such as shell casings. Gremore said if a scene has five, 9-millimeter shell casings, they can be collected in a box, taped with evidence tape, initialed by the seals and then placed into a paper bag.

CPD Lt. Matt Gremore on Sept. 18, 2025, shows how police put a shell casing into an evidence box, seal it with tape and initial the seal to protect the integrity of the evidence at a crime scene.

Evidence stored in plastic bags would include any evidence someone such as a prosecutor or detective would want to be able to see without having to open the bag. Gremore said evidence tape and initials are also used on plastic evidence bags. The bags have information sections which include information such as the crime, suspect, victim and time of recovery.

Yellow evidence markers are also placed along a crime scene to separate different pieces of evidence. At a shooting scene, it is a common occurrence to see police place yellow numerical markers near items including shell casings.

At least 24 evidence markers could be seen at the shooting scene of Jamar Hicks and two others along Trimble Road in east Columbia on July 16, 2017.

In 2024, Columbia police investigated 351 crimes involving a gun, according to data provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. According to Columbia’s crime dashboard, there were 110 shots fired incidents in 2024.

Gremore said it’s common for police to revisit a night time crime scene such as a shooting, to double check to see if any evidence is missed.

“Sometimes we have to go out with metal detectors [and] sometimes it’s better in the daylight,” Gremore said. “We actually utilize a dog with the ATF that can smell shell casings. I’ve seen it firsthand where the dog does fantastic work of finding items like that.”

Evidence is kept for different lengths of time depending on the statute of limitations for crimes, Gremore said.

“For example, [in a homicide case] the state as a law says you have to keep that evidence for a minimum of 50 years,” Gremore said. “Any evidence where there’s not a statute of limitations and it’s unsolved, you would keep that evidence indefinitely.”

But he said the statute of limitations changed in some cases for dealing with evidence once DNA became more involved in investigations.

Gremore said the location of where evidence is stored is very specific depending on the type of evidence and if there’s any testing being done on the object. He said some evidence for CPD will be stored at the MSHP Crime Lab, some goes to private labs and some is stored locally.

After a case has been solved, Gremore said eventually police will get a request from the prosecutor’s office to dispose of evidence. Depending on the type of evidence, he said it can be returned to the owner’s or it is disposed. If the evidence involved is money, a few things can happen to it.

“Depending on what the charge is, you can have money that goes to forfeiture or you have money that’s seized as an investigation,” Gremore said. “Typically, I would say a majority of the time, it is returned to the owner after a case is over. An example would be if you have a gas station that got robbed and the suspect’s caught with the money that they stole in the robbery, that money would be returned, eventually back to the owner of the gas station.”

Watch the latest “Mid-Missouri’s Cold Case Files: The Case of Jamar Hicks” at 10 p.m. Thursday on ABC 17 News.

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ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe told ABC 17 News that she is no longer putting together a task force that addresses downtown crime.

She announced the task force after it was requested by University of Missouri System President Mun Choi after a Stephens College student, Aiyanna Williams, was shot and killed in downtown Columbia on Sept. 27, which was the weekend of MU’s homecoming.

Buffaloe described during an interview on Tuesday afternoon that it would be best to continue to work with existing groups who are trying to stop crime.

“After talking to law enforcement and the property owners and different people working in this space, we decided just to actually just keep doing the meetings we’re already doing. These groups were getting together, were getting together with the university officials, but one voice that I noticed is missing and, and I got to meet today with some students from the University of Missouri,” Buffaloe said.

The whole interview with Buffaloe can be viewed above. She also recently returned from the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s leadership retreat to Columbia, South Carolina, and described why she traveled and what she learned.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people are in critical condition after they were shot Tuesday morning in the 1100 block of Cordell Street, according to a press release from the Jefferson City Police Department.

The release says officers were called at 5 a.m. for a “weapons offense” and found two people suffering from gunshot wounds. Both people were brought to an area hospital.

One person was detained after police searched the area, the release says. Police wrote the investigation is ongoing.

Michael Anthony Davis, 40, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, three counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

Michael Anthony Davis/Cole County Jail

The probable cause statement says Jefferson City police were investigating a crash in the 1800 block of Highway 50/63 East when they heard multiple shots being fired.

Two women with life-threatening gunshot wounds were found in a vehicle in a wooded area, the statement says. They were brought to University Hospital in Columbia.

Police found roughly 30 shell casings in the 900 block of Harding Street and Davis was detained shortly after, the statement says.

A witness allegedly described seeing a woman arguing with Davis and Davis allegedly pulled out a long gun, the statement says. The witness did not see shots being fired, but they heard several shots in a row, the statement says.

Davis allegedly gave the witness keys to a gun safe and apologized, court documents say.

Davis allegedly told police that he does not like the second victim, who is a friend of one of the victim he resides with, court documents indicate. He got into an argument with the second victim when she arrived to the home, but did not enter it, court documents say.

Police wrote that Davis said he thought the first victim was being forced into a vehicle by the second victim and fired several rounds at the car.

A second witness is cited in the probable cause statement as hearing an argument between the first victim and Davis during a phone call. He allegedly heard the argument while the second victim was on the phone with “Victim 1.”

“Victim 1” could allegedly be heard telling Davis “you have the gun case open; you are loading the gun while we are arguing,” the probable cause statement says.

Neighbors describe scene

Neighbors said they were awakened by the sound of gunfire around 5 a.m.

“I woke up about 5 this morning to a very loud [noise]. I just thought somebody was trying to break into the house,” said Linda Kelso, who has lived on Cordell Street for the past five years. “The next thing, was the street was full of official vehicles — police, ambulances, fire trucks. The whole street was blocked off. I saw the police down there working; someone was giving CPR to someone on the ground that I couldn’t see.”

Another neighbor reiterated seeing first responders performing CPR after hearing what sounded like gunfire.

Tire marks could be seen on the street veering into the tree line next to a spot of blood on the curb.

Both neighbors ABC 17 News spoke to said the incident appeared to have stemmed from a house in the 900 block of Cordell Street. 

“There’s no damage on my car. But right here, there are all these kind of greasy, dirty marks. These are from a policeman with an assault rifle aimed at that house, balancing his gun on top of my car,” Kelso said. “I saw police walking the woman in handcuffs down the street.”

Kelso and the other neighbor described the couple who lived in the house as friendly and said they usually never had any incidents on the street.

ABC 17 News spoke to another woman at the property who said she was “not allowed to talk” about the incident.

“This is a very quiet neighborhood. We may not be wealthy, but we’re friendly and people help each other,” Kelso said. “It’s a tragedy.”

Check back for updates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge has approved the ballot language for a summary of a constitutional amendment that would limit abortion access across the state.

Judge Daniel Green had twice refused Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ attempt to write the language for Amendment 3. The most recent rejection occurred on Oct. 1 and Hoskins — a Republican who is staunchly against abortion — was given five days to submit a revised summary.

“The Court therefore certifies the Second Revised Summary Statement and the Second Revised Fair Ballot Language Statement to the Secretary of State. See § 116.190.4(2)(c). The Secretary is ordered to include the Second Revised Summary Statement on the ballot,” a new judgement entered on Tuesday by Green says.

The ballot language now reads:

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to guarantee women’s medical care for medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages; authorize laws to regulate abortion providers and facilities to ensure health and safety; require informed and voluntary consent for an abortion, including parental or judicial consent for minors; repeal Article I, Section 36, approved in 2024, and allow abortions in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape, or incest, with a twelve-week gestational limit for rape or incest; require physicians to provide medically accurate information; prohibit public funding of abortions except in limited circumstances; and protect children from sex-change by prohibiting certain medical procedures and medications for minors, with exceptions for specific medical conditions.

A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages, require parental consent for minors’ abortions, require health and safety standards for abortions, limit abortion to cases of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape, or incest, or to protect children from sex-change.

If passed, this measure will not increase or decrease taxes.

“Despite three attempts, the state’s ballot summary still fails to give voters a clear and honest understanding that Amendment 3 would end Missourians’ fundamental right to reproductive freedom, a right we approved just last November. The ACLU of Missouri will appeal the certified language for both the ballot summary and the “fair ballot language” along with the violation of the state’s single subject clause,” Tori Schafer, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, wrote in a statement.

Hoskins in a press release viewed the ruling as a “victory.”

“This ruling is a victory for both the law and for Missouri voters,” Hoskins said in a release. “Senate Bill 22 is working exactly as intended. The new process ensures that constitutional and statutory ballot language is fair, sufficient, and lawful—and that Missourians can vote their values without out-of-state interests manipulating the process or misleading the public. Today’s decision confirms that our office is following the law and protecting the integrity of Missouri’s ballot.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Miller County Coroner’s Office wrote in a Monday social media post that a man who died while in custody of the law enforcement died from a “sudden cardiac arrest, secondary to acute methamphetamine toxicity.”

The coroner’s office previously wrote on Aug. 18 that Albert Clark, 54, had a plastic bag in his stomach.

Clark was involved in a chase with law enforcement on Aug. 15 and collapsed after he was detained.

He was brought to Lake Regional Hospital and was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m., according to previous reporting.

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Matthew Sanders

The No. 14 Missouri Tigers are getting ready for their biggest test yet.

The Tigers host the Alabama Crimson Tide on Faurot Field on Saturday. It’s the last in a string of home games to open the season. Alabama is ranked No. 8 after beating Vanderbilt last week.

Watch the news conference in the player.

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Madison Stuerman

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A second North Callaway School District bus crashed less than a week after five students were hurt on Thursday.

The second crash happened Tuesday morning near the Callaway and Audrain County line on County Road 2000 near the intersection of State Route DD.

Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Kyle Green said one student was on board at the time of the crash, but no injuries were reported.

ABC 17 News saw the bus being pulled from a ditch by a tow truck around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday.

This is the second North Callaway School bus to crash after five students were hurt last week.

The North Callaway School District Assistant Superintendent Nicole Buschmann told ABC 17 News in an email that the two recent incidents with the buses are not related and safety is the district’s top priority.

“The district conducts a thorough review of all incidents involving school buses to confirm that all safety procedures are followed and to ensure the continued safety of our students and staff,” Buschmann stated in the email.

Green said the road was blocked while crews were at the scene, but has since been reopend. North Callaway Fire and the Highway Patrol were on scene.

North Callaway School District Superintendent Kenya Thompson said in a press release Tuesday afternoon that all bus drivers are undergoing a safety training, reviewing defensive driving techniques and route-specific considerations.

The school district is also reviewing bus routes for any safety concerns and working with the Audrain County Commissioner’s Office to see if signage is possible at the intersection of Audrain County Road 845 and County Road 852, where Thursday’s crash occurred.

“Student safety is–and always will be–our top priority,” the press release states. “We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that every child arrives to and from school safely each day.”

The press release also advises parents and community to report dangerous road conditions, intersections and driving practices to the director of transportation Tom Tenney.

This is a developing story.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Solid Waste Utility will be hosting an open house Tuesday to discuss the construction of a new Material Recycling Facility.

The open house will be at the ARC on W. Ash St. from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It is a “come and go” event with no formal presentation, according to a press release from the city.

People who attend will have the opportunity to ask questions, speak with city staff members and submit comments for consideration.

In April, an EF-1 tornado destroyed the MRF building where city employees would sort recyclable material for baling and sale. While the city works toward constructing a new MRF, it will be looking to build a temporary facility to protect recyclables and employees from the weather.

During Monday night’s city council meeting, city leaders discussed an agreement with Federal Recycling for the city to get 50% of the net value of the material after processing and baling costs. The city will not need to make payments to Federal International Recycling and Waste Solutions even if the material value is zero.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Jefferson City Council took several steps toward completing a new downtown conference center, which is projected to generate $584 million in economic impact over its first decade, support 372 jobs and bring in $14 million in local tax revenue.

A design report outlined the 189,420-square-foot facility, which would be built between Madison and Monroe streets, with the main entrance on East Capitol Avenue.

The project includes a 200-room hotel, bar, conference room, grand ballroom, restaurant, coffee shop and 526 parking spaces. City officials said the design aims to attract more visitors downtown and boost local business activity.

On Monday, the council approved a master development agreement with Garfield Public/Private LLC for the hotel and conference center. The agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities for developing, constructing, furnishing and opening the project. 

Under the agreement, Jefferson City will cover up to $8.3 million in development and design fees from the Conference Center Fund before issuing bonds for construction. About $1.58 million of that amount has already been authorized for schematic design work.

However, it was not passed unanimously, with Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job and Ward 2 Councilman Aaron Mealy voicing concerns about the debt the project will cause the taxpayers. 

“It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge a substantial opportunity cost that comes with accruing such a sizeable debt,” Job said during the meeting.   As I see it, we are having the taxpayer going into it from our own citizenry or from those visiting our community, hoping that this will pay off.

Mealy, whose ward the project would be built in, also expressed skepticism in the project’s projected economic impact. 

“One of the problems I had substantially was related to the economic impact of $580 billion, I assume over the life of the bonds, $580 million of economic impact for the life of the bonds equates to little over $50,000 a day. I know these amounts are often inflated in almost every project throughout the country but I find pause in them,” Mealy said. “Costs don’t stop after construction. Even if we are able to keep the project on budget, the challenge starts when we open the doors.” 

Ward 1 Councilman Randy Hoselton pushed back, saying the conference center is meant to be a secondary benefit and is an investment in the city. 

The meeting grew tense when Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Ahlers accused Mealy of implying in a — since-deleted — Facebook post that the city lacked transparency during the planning process, saying that anyone who believed that was “dumber than a box of hammers.”

The city also passed a resolution to bring in McCownGordon on as the firm building the hotel and conference center andcreated the nonprofit “Capital City Corporation for Growth,” which will ultimately own the hotel and conference center. Officials said that the nonprofit organization will help the city move at the speed of business, not the speed of government. 

The Capital City Corporation for Growth resolution passed 7-3 with Job, Mealy and Ward 3 Councilman Derek Thomas voting against it. 

As part of the construction of the center, the capital city will also lose out on 400 parking spaces due to the demolition of the Madison Street parking garage. 

The council also authorized the closure of portions of the Madison Street parking garage on Monday, which officials say has reached the end of its useful life. 

The garage, originally built in 1961 and expanded in 1982, was last inspected in 2023. That inspection found the structure could no longer be safely used without major reconstruction, which was estimated to cost more than $12.5 million.

City staff said the structure has continued to deteriorate since then. In recent weeks, a rusted beam connection failed, and a non-load-bearing piece of angle iron, part of a previous renovation, fell from the building. A council memo also revealed that minor pieces of concrete have come loose in the past.

Ward 4 Councilwoman Julie Allen told ABC 17 News the city is working to determine how to handle parking concerns once the garage closes, but no plan has been released yet. 

If an upcoming emergency structural report finds part of the garage to be safe, the east section’s basement and drive-in area off Commercial Way may remain open temporarily for permit holders.

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ABC 17 News Team

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cooper’s Landing’s website says its general store is now under renovation.

This new building will have an upper level with indoor seating, a new restroom facility and showers for campers.

The website says preparations to tear down the current building are being done on Monday.

This renovation is expected to continue through the early spring but you can still visit and camp at the site. While the renovations are ongoing. Changes to parking are also expected.

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