Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Audrain County man was charged with several felonies on Friday after authorities claim he helped a teenager commit a shooting in March in Mexico.

Casey Minter Jr., of Mexico, was charged in Audrain County 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. A warrant was served on Monday and a hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Audrain County Courthouse.

The probable cause statement says a 15-year-old shot at a home in the 300 block of North Missouri Street multiple times on March 26. Three residents were in the home at the time of the shooting.

“Surveillance video from the area showed an SUV commonly driven by Minter in the vicinity at the time of the incident,” court documents say.

Officers did a traffic stop on a vehicle on April 8 and found a gun – which ballistics testing allegedly determined was used in the shooting, the statement says. Minter allegedly denied being involved in the shooting, but the person he used for an alibi allegedly told law enforcement that he told them he helped “shoot up” the home with the youth, court documents allege.

Another person described as a witness in court documents allegedly told police that they were in the SUV with Minter and the youth. That person claimed they saw Minter drive the vehicle and give the youth the gun, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Mexico, Missouri, man was charged on Friday with a pair of felonies after he allegedly strangled a woman multiple times this summer.

Jonathan Swiney was charged in Audrain County with two counts of first-degree domestic assault. A warrant was issued and no bond was set.

The probable cause statement says a woman was assaulted by Swiney on Aug. 9 after an argument occurred between the two. The victim allegedly told police they were strangled and beat by Swiney and described a second assault that occurred on July 3 that had similar details, the statement indicates.

The victim described multiple assaults and showed injuries they suffered in photographs they saved, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou Athletic Director Laird Veatch spoke with reporters Monday on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers will host Central Arkansas on Faurot on Aug. 28 — a Thursday night kickoff.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a guest at the White House on Monday as European leaders try to hammer out a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Zelensky and Trump took questions from reporters before a closed-door meeting, and the atmosphere was more friendly than Zelensky’s last trip to the White House. They later joined European leaders for comments before another session of talks.

Watch the events in the video player.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Codefendants Samarion Robins, 20, and Oscar Ashford Jr., 21, were denied a bond reduction by a Boone County judge on Monday.

Their Sept. 8 trial date was also pushed to Nov.18. The trial was pushed back after Judge Jeff Harris revealed that prosecutors handed more than 900 pages of discovery to the defense.

Robins and Ashford are charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in the death of 15-year-old Aubrey Doxley in 2022 on McKee Street. Daniel Ayers also faces charges in Doxley’s death. Prosecutors dropped charges against a fourth defendant, Tavan Williams-Patrick, on Friday.

ABC 17 News spoke with family members of Robins and Ashford following court and they expressed frustration. They explained that they felt like the judge focused more on the 900 pages of discovery than whether bonds for Ashford and Robins should be lowered.

They also believe the two men are not soley responsible for Doxley’s death. The original probable cause statement alleges other people were shooting back at the car that Ashford, Robins, Williams-Patrick and Ayers were in.

The state explained that the 900 pages of discovery were police reports that they planned to cross reference, but that one specific report gave a reason into why the prosecution believes the shooting on McKee Street occurred. The state said that they believe the shooting was retaliatory after Ayers was shot almost two days before.

The state also confirmed its reasons for dropping the charges against Williams-Patrick. He was the first set to be tried out of the suspects, but the state wants Robins and Ashford tried first. Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson told ABC 17 News that prosecutors plan to refile charges later.

According to previous reporting, Doxley’s mother, Latoya, said Aubry was lying in her bed when shots came through the window of their home. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Prosecutors argue that the four defendants were shooting out of a car while they were driving down McKee Street the night of Doxley’s murder.

Ashford’s legal team asked for a pretrial release with no financial conditions. Court documents filed by his lawyer cite previous motions by state and federal courts that a bail amount is typically set to ensure the defendant appears in court. The documents argue that Ashford is not a flight risk or a danger to the community and that if the request is granted, he will comply with the court’s conditions.

Robins’ legal team argues that his $1 million cash-only bond is beyond his financial means to pay. Robins’ lawyer referred in court documents to the state’s move to drop charges against Williams-Patrick. They say the state’s evidence against Robins, Ashford and Williams-Patrick were the same and question the state’s ability to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ayers will have a status hearing on Oct.10 after his court proceedings were suspended because of a court order for a mental health evaluation.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City School District is kicking off the 2025-26 school year Monday morning, as students will be introduced to the new statewide cellphone policy in schools.

In July, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 68 banning the use of cell phones during instructional time, lunch breaks, study halls and between class periods, for all K-12 students.

To implement the law, during school hours, cellphones must be turned off or on silent mode and stored in their backpacks or lockers.

This new state law requires all school districts to have the no-phone policy, even if the district already had one in place. In the past, the Jefferson City School District had a no-phone policy, that was only enforced in the classrooms. Due to the new law, the policy will be extended to the other areas of the school.

ABC 17 News spoke to Jefferson City School District Superintendent Bryan McGraw about the adjustment period for students and teachers as the first day of the policy takes place. “I think we work with kids and parents on implementing it and make it, safe space for all and have a great cooperation between both parties and work within the complexities of the law, of course” said McGraw.

Superintendent McGraw told ABC 17 news last week if a student is caught using their phone, the consequence depends on where and how the phone was being used. It also depends on how often the student is caught using their phone.  On Monday, McGraw said the administration will work with the student and parent to try to find common ground and work within the law.

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Matthew Sanders

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Friday for a summit in Anchorage, Alaska.

The key topic: the war in Ukraine.

Trump failed to secure the ceasefire he’d been aiming for, with Putin making no promises beyond continuing the talks. The meeting ended with brief statements from each leader and no questions taken.

The abrupt end to the summit has led to speculation about what was said and who came out in a better negotiating position as Trump tries to end the war in Ukraine — the deadliest on European soil since World War II.

Who do you think came out with the upper hand? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

K-12 students were leaving the Armory Sports and Recreation Center and Cosmo Park with backpacks, sharp pencils, and even sharper hairstyles Sunday after two local Columbia businesses hosted two back-to-school events.

This year marked the 5th annual Renz Blendz Barbershop event at the rec center and the first-ever Broadway Hair Company event at Cosmo Park. While both events were separate, the organizers had the same mission: to prepare students for school, even if that meant through the confidence of a fresh haircut.

“A simple haircut just really elevates your confidence,” Owner of Broadway Hair Company Morgan Boyles said, “Being able to give a student a haircut right before school starts, you can imagine how that can help them on their first day.”

Along with haircuts, both events also had school supplies, backpacks, and new clothes. The Renz Blendz event also had new sneakers and provided braiding and nail polish for visitors.

“It’s just a boost of self-confidence and every kid gets to go back feeling special, and feeling good, looking good,” Second-time Renz Blendz volunteer Shaina Luvlee said.

Broadway Hair Company had children’s books and board games, and held a gift card giveaway.

This comes as some parents are feeling the strain on their wallet from rising school supplies prices.

According to the National Retail Federation, total expected spending for K-12 students this year is up by around $600,000 from 2024. The NRF also reported that families budget most for electronics, followed by clothes then shoes.

Deloitte found that the average expected cost for students is $570 per child for the 2025 school year.

All items available at the events, including the food, were donated or sold by local businesses in the community.

“This is a light that I think that the community really needs right now,” Boyles said. “No matter what the world is going through, we can still come together at the end of the day, especially for our children.”

Columbia Public School District’s Jump-Start Day for 6th and 9th grade students is Monday with the rest of the students beginning classes on Tuesday.

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Olivia Hayes

COOPER COUNTY, MO. (KMIZ)

The Cooper County Sheriff’s Office says its response to a possible armed home invasion turned into a two-hour long stand off.

Sunday morning at around 7:30, the Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post that Cooper County deputies and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to an address on Highway 135 south of Martinsville for a possible armed intruder inside of the residence.

The post says the owner of the home was able to exit, but that an unknown man was still inside. A perimeter was set up around the home.

Information from the homeowner stated he came home and found a black man inside his home. The suspect pointed a gun at him when confronted. The homeowner was able to quickly exit the home without issue and contacted 911 for help.

No one else was believed to be inside the home other than the suspect and he was believed to be barricaded in the basement with access to numerous guns. The MSHP SWAT Team was brought in and communication was conducted by the Sheriff’s Office to the home without response.

At about 9:30 a.m., the male subject exited the residence and was arrested. The suspect was transported to the Cooper County Detention Center.

The name of the suspect is being withheld until formal charges are filed by the Cooper County Prosecutor’s Office.

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Nia Hinson

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Dozens of people gathered outside of the State Capitol on Saturday, protesting a recent push made by some republican lawmakers.

Missouri is one of several states where Republican lawmakers are pushing for new congressional maps, aimed at gaining an edge in the U.S. House of Representatives during the mid-term elections. Gov. Mike Kehoe has said he’s open to the idea.

We Stand United Missouri organized a rally on Saturday, speaking out against the possibility.

“Governor Kehoe seems to be wanting to do things just to make Trump happy rather than focusing on the fact that he’s supposed to be working for the people of Missouri,” We Stand United Missouri spokesperson Sue Rodgers said. “And the plan to redistrict would really shift that even further, so we need to focus on that and we need to push back against that.”

The rally marked the sixth We Stand United Missouri has held at the State Capitol. Attendance at previous rallies have surpassed 1,000 people.

The theme for Saturday’s rally was “All Hands on Deck: Missourians Deserve Better.”

Bethany Mann, a democrat running for Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District said that her message to Gov. Kehoe and other elected officials in support of the redistricting is that she wont stop fighting.

“That’s not democracy. That’s not a republic. That is a system designed to leave working families behind and ultimately that is taxation without representation and we have fought wars in the past to establish our freedom to fight for a future that our children deserve,” Mann said.

Mann said Saturday’s rally should send a clear message to Gov. Kehoe and other republican lawmakers that Missourians are united in their fight for freedom.

“We the people put them in office to represent us, not billionaires and the ultra wealthy,” Mann said. “They should not be leaving our families behind. And when our elected officials overturn our votes, when they try to draw maps so that they pick who they represent versus us choosing who represents us, and then they pass policies that overwhelmingly benefit big corporations and billionaires, when they do that, that’s at the expense of us.”

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