Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A teenager who is charged with murder and other charges was indicted by a Boone County grand jury on Friday.

Mikel Jones, 17, of Columbia, is charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and a count of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Michael Ryan Burke on Ridgemont Court.

Kobe Aust, 19, Joseph Crane, 18 – both of Columbia – and Alexis Baumann, of Hallsville, are all also charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and a count of second-degree murder.

All three males are still being held at the Boone County Jail without bond, while Baumann was given a bond and was released to home detention.

Court documents in previous reporting say the group of defendants had used Facebook Marketplace to arrange a meeting with Burke to buy a cellphone. The group had already met with and stole from two other victims prior to shooting Burke, court documents in previous reporting say.

Baumann allegedly told officers that Jones had shot Burke, took his iPhone, then sold it at an ecoATM at the Walmart on Conley Road.

An arraignment for Jones is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, June 8.

Baumann has a hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, June 22, while Aust is set to appear at 9 a.m. Monday, June 29 and Crane has a hearing set for 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 27.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 16-year-old boy who is charged as an adult in connection with a 2025 shooting death was indicted by a Boone County grand jury on Friday.

Deshawn D. Brown, of Columbia, is charged with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and second-degree murder in the death of Zarian Simpson.

Another 16-year-old, Rodney Moore Jr., is also accused in the shooting and is charged with the same felonies as Brown. Steven Paden IV, 35, of Columbia, is also charged with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and felony murder.

All three people are listed on the Boone County Jail’s online roster without bond. An arraignment for Brown is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 8. Moore had a hearing on Monday, June 1.

Paden has a hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24 and his jury trial is scheduled to begin 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Officers were called to the Eastgate Apartments at Old 63 and Broadway on June 15, 2025, when police found Simpson with a gunshot wound.

Dispatchers heard gunfire while Simpson was on the phone with them during a chase. He went silent after the shots rang out, and his car crashed into an apartment complex near Stephens Lake Park, previous reporting shows.

Moore allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he fired a gun at Simpson’s vehicle and that Brown was a part of the robbery, court documents in previous reporting show.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A third Columbia man has pleaded guilty to a felony in a January 2025 shooting that occurred on Providence Road in Columbia.

Ataveon Gordon pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree assault. He was sentenced to four years in prison. He was given credit for time served.

Jared Britt Jr., 20, of Columbia, pleaded guilty on March 23 to the same charge and received the same sentence. He is being held at the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center, according to records from the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Justin Lumley Jr., 18, of Columbia, pleaded guilty on March 11 to second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree property damage. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and is being held at Farmington Correctional Center.

Court documents from previous reporting in the Jan. 27, 2025, shooting – which occurred near North Providence Road and Nebraska Avenue —

 say one person was injured after being shot at and one of the two people shot at recognized Britt and Gordon.

Police found a Chevrolet Malibu with multiple bullet holes and shot-out windows. One of the victims was brought to University Hospital.

Gordon allegedly told police that he and one of the victims allegedly messaged each other prior before Gordon picked them up, previous reporting indicates.

Lumlely and another person approached one of the victims and Lumley shot at the victim’s vehicle from the front passenger side of Gordon’s vehicle as the victims drove away, previous reporting shows.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man accused of shooting and killing two people in 2022 at a Jefferson City bar will see a new judge in his murder case.

Damien Davis, 39, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of illegal gun possession in the shooting death of 26-year-old Skylar Smock and 43-year-old Corey Thames on Nov. 26, 2022, at J. Pfenny’s Sports Grill and Pub.

Judge Brian Stumpe recused himself on Thursday, citing a “court restructuring of case load,” court filings show. Judge Christopher Limbaugh was assigned to the case.

According to previous reporting, Smock tried to break up a fight and remove Thames from the business when Davis started firing shots, according to investigators.

Police say Davis admitted to firing shots at Thames but says he unintentionally shot Smock. Previous reporting indicates that Davis had said “I was saving my life” during his arraignment in November 2022.

Court documents claim Davis’ statement to police that night did not match the evidence at the scene, including the location of shell casings or the video evidence captured by the bar’s cameras.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in 2023.

Davis is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, June 22.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council approved a nearly $9.4 million budget amendment on Monday that incorporates funding for several projects.

The meeting agenda shows the city is looking to appropriate $9,398,731.56 in funds. Meeting documents show $3.5 million will be appropriated from electric retained earnings to replace a transformer for the Columbia Energy Center.

Meeting documents say the current transformer is 25 years old and is starting to fail. That transformer is responsible for keeping 50% of the CEC operational, meeting documents say.

Another $2,038,726, will be appropriated from the “internal designated loan fund balance” to fund HVAC and indoor lighting improvements at the Armory downtown, documents show.

The Columbia Police Department is requesting to appropriate $100,000 from Federal Asset Forfeiture Funding for a rebranding initiative, which includes new uniforms, for the department’s 200th anniversary, according to meeting documents.

The city is also appropriating $910,000 in supplemental funding for the new passenger boarding bridge at Columbia Regional Airport. That project was announced in April and new city documents say the city expects a 95% reimbursement from the FAA.

A request is also being made to appropriate $100,000 from Ramp Maintenance & Repair project to fund elevator upgrades at the Tenth and Cherry parking garage. An upgrade is scheduled for the Eighth and Cherry garage in fiscal year 2027. The city’s website shows the project is facing a nearly $79,000 deficit.

Additionally, $117,106.87 will be appropriated from then Eighth and Cherry Energy Efficiency project for more electric charging stations.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council advanced a proposal Monday that would change how vacant council seats are filled, but not before changing some of its original language. 

Under the original proposal, the mayor would publicly announce a vacancy after it occurs. Council members and the mayor would then be allowed to submit one nominee each, accompanied by a resume. Each nomination would require a second from another council member.

Residents would an opportunity to submit questions or comments to their council representative before nominees appear before the council at a subsequent meeting. The council would then vote on a replacement, and the selected candidate would be sworn in during the same meeting.

The proposal comes after two council resignations this past year. Third Ward Councilman Derek Thomas’ resignation takes effect Tuesday after he announced in April that he would step down because of family medical issues that require him to move out of Missouri.

Thomas’ departure follows the resignation of former Second Ward Councilman Aaron Mealy in March. The council later appointed Cody Holt to fill that seat. However, the process of replacing Mealy sparked debate among council members, with several expressing frustration over what they described as an outdated and confusing appointment process.

Before Monday’s meeting, Ward 4 Councilman Chris Lueckel told ABC 17 News that Thomas’ seat would likely remain vacant for several weeks. However, he said council members expected to have a clearer timeline for filling the vacancy after discussing the proposed ordinance during the next City Administration Committee meeting.

The proposal was introduced on Monday and is intended to address those concerns by creating a more clear and streamlined process for future vacancies.

“There was some discussion by the council that they weren’t happy with the process that was in the code, and we showed them various options, and this is the option that was selected,” Attorney for the city Nathan Nickolaus said.

Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Ahlers said the original language had already been discussed extensively during a previous city administration committee meeting.  He added that committee members spent more than an hour discussing four different options before unanimously recommending the proposal to the full council.

However, Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester proposed an amendment that would require at least two weeks to pass between a council member’s resignation and the nomination process, giving residents more time to weigh in on potential candidates.

Part of his amendment also included removing the mayor from the nomination process. Under Lester’s proposal, only council members representing a specific ward would be allowed to nominate candidates.

“The mayor’s nominee may have more influence on the outcome,” Lester argued during the meeting. “Is this what the council wants? It may look good now but not so good when another mayor less favorable to your point of view is in office.”

Nickolaus pushed back on that argument, noting the mayor is considered part of the council under the local government structure and that previous versions of the ordinance also allowed the mayor to make nominations.

After a lengthy discussion, Lester’s amendment was approved on a 6-4 vote.  The measure still requires a second reading and final approval before taking effect.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge ruled Monday in favor of the state, rejecting claims that a ballot issue to eliminate Missouri’s income tax violated the state constitution.

Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh ruled against the plaintiff, Jill Owens, on all four counts and declared the judgment final after Gov. Mike Kehoe decided last week to put the measure on the August primary election ballot. Other ballot issues were certified last week.

Limbaugh heard arguments Friday from lawyers for the plaintiff and the state, including top election official Secretary of State Denny Hoskins.

Owens, in a lawsuit filed after the General Assembly approved the ballot measure in April, claimed the ballot measure dealt with too many subjects and that the ballot language was improperly written. Limbaugh denied each claim.

“All other pending claims for relief, requests, and motions, are hereby denied,” Limbaugh wrote in the 10-page decision.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, whose office represented Hoskins and the state, called the ruling a “win” for voters.

INCOME TAX JUDGEMENTDownload

“Liberal activists brought this lawsuit to block Missourians from voting on whether to eliminate the state income tax,” Hanaway said in a news release. “Judge Limbaugh rightly rejected that challenge. We are proud to continue fighting for the right of voters to decide the future of tax policy in our state. Missourians will have their say this August.”

The measure, if approved by voters in August, would phase out the state’s income tax and allow for the expansion of sales tax.

Owens’ lawyer Chuck Hatfield vowed to appeal.

This decision will be appealed immediately because Amendment 5 is not only deceptive, it unconstitutionally covers too many subjects and should have no place on the ballot,” Hatfield said in a statement sent to ABC 17 News. “Lawmakers failed to tell voters the truth about Amendment 5 – it would mean the largest expansion of sales taxes in Missouri history, while giving lawmakers a license to ignore current constitutional taxpayer protections, including the citizens’ right to vote on big tax increases.”

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Sutton Parker

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Regional Airport on Monday launched its new shuttle service for the new 700-space south parking lot as the airport continues to see growth.

The lot opened at 4 a.m. Monday with a shuttle taking the first group of passengers to the main terminal. The shuttle is set run in 10-minute intervals. A ride from the lot to the main terminal took roughly three minutes when ABC 17 News used the service.  

Airport Manager Mike Parks said officials are still trying to get an accurate time estimate.

“We are really trying to get an average on how long does it take to pick the passenger up, move the luggage, and then we will make adjustments to that in the future,” Parks said.

Officials said prior to the opening of the lot ,the airport faced the challenge of having more passengers than parking spaces. The airport had a record-number of passengers in March. COU added routes to Charlotte, North Carolina, last month and flights are expected to start heading to Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday and Destin, Florida on Friday.

Allegiant Airlines employee Alexis Barnes took the shuttle for the first time Monday. She said that she just started at the airport and was late on her first day after having to circle the parking lots to find parking.

“It is nice that it is convenient. I don’t have to search for parking and I can make it up to the airport on time.” Barnes said.

Parks said the airport is currently evaluating the need for the number of shuttles running at one time. He also claims the start of the shuttle service makes the airport a lot safer.

“People are not getting out of their vehicles and walking down airport drive,” Parks said

“Right now we are operating one shuttle. In the future to maybe if there is peak demand to where we would need a second, we would utilize our current staff to jump in,” he said.

The airport has two employees – one full-time, one part-time – operating the shuttle, as well as employees from the Columbia Public Works department who are also licensed to operate the shuttle in order to ensure they are able to operate the route throughout the day.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Monday was the first day of summer school for Columbia Public Schools, and a press release from a district spokeswoman says more than 9,400 students are attending class.

The release says that figure represents more than half of the district’ regular school year enrollment.

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade can enter a variety of programs “that includes enrichment and advancement opportunities for students,” the release says. The two largest programs are Summer Sunsations for K-8 students and credit advancement for high school students. Driver’s education is included among the high school courses.

The summer session runs through June 26. Bus routes are available to K-8 students who live more than a mile from their “home school” and high school students who live more than two miles away.

More information can be found on the summer school page on CPS’ website.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was arrested last week in Jefferson City in connection with an April 26 shots-fired scene at a Waffle House on the north side of Columbia has been charged with two felonies.

D’Monte Lee, 19, of Jefferson City, was charged on Monday in Boone County with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Cole County Jail. A court date has not been scheduled.

Damonte Jones, of Jefferson City, received the same charges last week. He is not currently listed on a jail roster.

The probable cause statement says the men were at the Waffle House on Vandiver Drive at 2:53 a.m.

Lee allegedly got out of a Ford, stood between two vehicles, pulled out a gun and shot at a vehicle on Range Line Street, police wrote that they saw from video in the area. Police wrote a second man also fired shots at the vehicle.  

A witness allegedly identified Jones as the second shooter while Jefferson City police investigated another case on April 30 that allegedly involved Jones pointing a gun at someone, the statement says. Police wrote that there was a National Integrated Ballistic Information Network match for Jones’ gun and shell casings found at the scene.

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