Category: kmiz-local-news

Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia teenager was charged as an adult with murder, robbery and armed criminal action in a deadly Facebook Marketplace meetup.

Judge Tracy Gonzalez agreed to certify Mikel Jones, 17, as an adult in an alleged deadly robbery in southwest Columbia, minutes before charges were filed.

Columbia police believe he took part in a robbery set up through Facebook Marketplace that led to the death of Michael Ryan Burke on Ridgemont Court.

Jones was charged with second-degree (felony) murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action.

Three 18-year-old suspects — Alexis Baumann, of Hallsville, Kobe Aust and Joseph Crane — had already been charged as adults. Surveillance video places Jones with the three suspects the night Burke was killed, court documents claim.

Court documents filed in the case say that Baumann and the group arranged to buy a phone from Burke. The group had already met with and stolen from at least two other victims in the two days before the confrontation that led to Burke’s death, documents say. Those incidents took place on Claudell Lane and on Northampton Drive.

PC Statement RedactedDownload

A Facebook account with the name Jones set up the exchange, according to a probable cause statement.

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

Jones was in county custody on Tuesday without bond.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council on Monday night unanimously approved a new contract with All Seasons Landscaping for yard waste drop-off.

The new drop-off site will be at 2417 Southridge Drive.

The first year of the new contract will cost the city $231,600 and the city will have the option to renew the agreement for four additional years, which would include a 1% price increase each year.

Operating hours will be:

From April 1-Oct. 31:

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday

Noon-5 p.m. Sunday

Nov. 1-March 31:

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday

Noon-5 p.m. Sunday

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A South Carolina man who is accused of killing a University of Missouri student 26 years ago appeared in court for the first time on Monday.

Sentrell Wilson, 45, of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, is charged with first-degree murder in the 2000 death of Candace Richie, 21.  

Wilson was arrested in South Carolina on Feb. 23 and was held at the Spartanburg County Jail until he was extradited to Boone County last week. He is being held without bond.

Wilson appeared in court Monday by video from the jail without an attorney and was given two weeks to find one. His next appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, May 18.

A bond motion claims Wilson asphyxiated a woman and left her body where it was not found for several days, then fled Missouri.

The Columbia Police Department interviewed Wilson in 2000, but an arrest was not made at the time due to concerns about the ability to establish a clear medical cause of death, previous reporting shows.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The leader of a “cult-like” Amish community who was charged with several felonies, including manslaughter and sex crimes, was indicted by a Cooper County grand jury on Friday.

Sam Shetler, 42, of Boonville, is charged with three counts of trafficking for the purpose of slavery, a count of first-degree sodomy, first-degree sex abuse, four counts of kidnapping and one count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. 

He is being held at the Cooper County Jail without bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, May 11.

Shelter is accused of forcing teenagers work at the t the Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat without pay and rubbing oils on young females to “heal” them, court documents in previous reporting indicate.

Following his March arrest, more victims came forward and accused Shetler of posing as a doctor that gave a “lavender breathing treatment” to a baby who suffered from multiple viruses in 2025, including COVID-19, court documents in previous reporting say. The baby had died on March 6, 2025.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman accused of stabbing another woman early Friday has been arrested and charged.

Nakia Bonaparte, 27, of Columbia, was charged on Friday afternoon in Boone County with second-degree assault and armed criminal action. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says multiple witnesses and the victim claimed Bonaparte stabbed a woman near the intersection of Claudell Lane and Worley Street after a fight occurred. Police wrote that the victim had cuts seen to her chest and arm.

Both witnesses allegedly saw Bonaparte then run to a vehicle the victim sat in after the stabbing and saw Bonaparte stab the tires of the vehicle before she left, court documents say.

Bonaparte allegedly told police that she went to Claudell Lane to fight one of the witnesses, but the victim had joined in, court documents allege. Bonaparte told police she pulled out the knife and swung it in self-defense, court documents say.

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

P.E.A.C.E and H.O.P.E held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday for its new Teen Center.

The new center is located at 203 N. Providence Road in Columbia and aims to help at-risk youth. The nonprofits created the space to offer access to mentorship, educational support, life skills development, and programming focused on personal growth and leadership.

The center offers games, food, learning and activities areas and more.

Destiny of Hope Director Lonnie Lockhart Bey started his “boots on the ground” approach of helping at-risk youth in 2021.

Two years later the group received $320,000 in ARPA funding from the $25.5 million the City of Columbia received, with a agreement with the city that ends in 2027, according to previous reporting.

He says it has been a journey getting to the grand opening of the center.

“Ups and downs just trying to figure out how to put things in perspective,” Lockhart Bey said, “When you come out of prison after doing 26 years, it’s not much trust on the parts of those who are in positions to be able to help you to the next level.”

Lockhart Bey says Monday’s grand opening is about “breaking the cycle” with youth.

“We got to break that cycle of poverty mentally and emotionally, because with poverty comes trouble because now there’s anger there’s all these other things that’s occurring within this one body and combustion can simply be I’m going to do what I got to do,” he said.

In total the organization received $428,333.33 through the city ARPA funds and spent $335,057.29 as of January.

Lockhart Bey said the center also received grants from Boone County and donors and the center is on track to spend the amount given by the end of year. He said to run the center it will cost about $300,000 annually.

Community violence was one of five priorities for the city to address using American Rescue Plan Act funding. Other priorities included homelessness, behavioral crisis care, mental health services and workforce development.

The grand opening comes at a time where the Missouri State Highway Patrol reports crime among youth is down.

In 2025, MSHP reported gun crimes involving youth 10-17 years old was 33, which marks a drop compared to 2024 71 gun crimes involving youth was reported.

MSHP also reported there were 32 victims between 10-17 years old last year, while in 2024 there were 70 victims.

Lockhart Bey said there are several factors that are the driving force in youth violence.

“It’s hard to pinpoint one thing. There are a lot of factors and for me what I’ve come to understand that every child I talk to that’s up in age whether they are affiliated, whether they’re just out in the street trying to get money, everybody chasing the bag,” Lockhart Bey said. “So socieconomic, impoverishment is a key factor in why crime is so prevalent,”

The center will be open daily from 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Those looking to become a part of the program can apply online.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police had to use a stun gun on man who allegedly pointed a gun at someone on Saturday during a road-rage incident in Jefferson City, court documents say.

Robert Wallace, 44, of Jefferson City, is charged in Cole County with unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.

An arraignment was held on Monday and Wallace appeared by video from the jail, where he pleaded not guilty. He intends to apply for a public defender, according to court filings. A counsel status hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The probable cause statement says the victim told police that Wallace cut him off while driving. The two allegedly parked their vehicles in the middle of the road and started arguing with each other outside of their vehicles, the statement says. The victim allegedly started leaving and Wallace followed him before pulling up alongside him and pointing a gun at the victim, the statement says.

Police eventually found Wallace in Cole County and claimed he resisted arrest. Law enforcement used a Taser to subdue and detain the man, court documents allege.

Wallace allegedly told police that the victim drove “erratically” and threatened him, but changed his story when law enforcement told him they had video of the interaction, court documents say. He allegedly told police that he did not pulled a gun and was reaching for his dog, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An arrest was made in connection with a stabbing that occurred Monday in the 4500 block of Rice Road.

The Columbia Police Department wrote in a Monday afternoon social media post that it arrested Dariell Deshell Smith, 33, of Columbia, on suspicion of first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action.

Smith was not listed on the Boone County Jail roster on Monday afternoon and charges were not yet listed on Casenet.

Police were called around 2:40 a.m. Monday and found the victim with minor injuries. They were brought to Boone Hospital and are stable, the social media post says.

An ABC 17 News videographer at the scene saw around 10 Columbia Police Department officers investigating near a home, previous reporting indicates.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Columbia City Council voted 4-3 on Monday night to table a decision that would have put a proposed 1% sales tax dedicated to public safety on the August ballot.

City staff has written an ordinance that would add a 1% general sales tax, with the revenue generated going solely to the Columbia Police Department and Columbia Fire Department. 

The goal of the ordinance is to help both departments increase staffing, cover facility upgrades, and buy new equipment. Specific priorities listed by the city under the proposed sales tax include: 

Increase CPD staffing to 50 officers over four years

Increase CFD staffing to 40 firefighters over four years

Build a new Police Facility

Purchase new police vehicles and equipment 

Build two new fire stations with apparatus 

Renovate three current fire stations

Develop a police and fire technology plan

Maintain competitive wages 

According to Monday’s council memo, the city estimates that the 1% sales and use tax dedicated to public safety will produce $38 million in revenue.  However, the ordinance needs voter approval during the 2026 August primary elections in order to go into effect. 

The city council must approve the ordinance as written during it’s march 18th meeting in order to get in on the August ballot. If the City Council approves the ordinance as written, this question would appear on the ballot: 

“Shall the municipality of Columbia, Missouri impose an additional citywide sales tax at a rate of one percent, solely for the purpose of providing revenues to improve public safety for the city, which shall be limited to expenditures on equipment, salaries and benefits, and facilities for police and fire departments?”

The current sales tax rate for Columbia sits at nearly 8% (7.975%), with 4.2% coming from the state, 2% from the city, and 1.75% from Boone County. The 2% from the City of Columbia currently includes a 1% general sales tax, 0.5% transportation sales tax, 0.25% capital improvement sales tax and 0.25% park sales tax.

Boone County sheriff seeks similar ballot issue

A Monday press release from the Boone County auditor shows that Sheriff Dwayne Carey has also asked the Boone County Commission to consider putting a law enforcement sales tax increase on the August 2026 ballot.

“Dedicated sales tax revenue no longer keeps pace with the broader cost of public safety services across county government,” Auditor Kyle Rieman said. “Those pressures include the sheriff’s office, jail operations, the rising cost of housing inmates outside Boone County, juvenile services, prosecuting attorney, circuit courts and other related expenses — and the same squeeze is showing up in nearly every other county cost center.”

Boone County currently collects a 1/8-cent sales tax for law enforcement that brought in $5.76M in revenue in 2025, according to the release from the auditor.

The auditor’s release also acknowledges possible tax cuts, specifically to income tax by the state that could be placed on ballot as early as August.

“Rieman said that proposal is best understood not as a tax cut but as a tax shift, replacing a tax based on income with higher sales taxes everyone pays at the register,” the release says. “Rieman is asking city and county leadership to coordinate on timing, ballot language and the total cumulative burden on taxpayers, ideally placing any to take a coordinated approach to work together to consider responsible timing, ballot language, public messaging and the total burden on taxpayers.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Someone has sued the University of Missouri after they fell through a grate on campus in 2024 when they were a student.

The attorney for Madison Hankle filed a petition on Monday in Boone County that is suing MU for damages. The university is listed as a defendant along with another person, Silas Schipper Jr., who is described as a student in the lawsuit.

The petition claims Hankle was walking with friends on April 13, 2024, on the sidewalk between the Mizzou Rec Center and Stankowski Field.

Schipper had allegedly opened the grate and it was dark with no signage indicating it was open when Hankle fell through the opening and landed about 15-20 feet below the surface, court documents allege. Court documents allege it would have cost the university fewer than $50 to secure the grate.

The petition alleges Hankle suffered “permanent” injuries. MU is accused of premises liability, while Schipper is accused of negligence.

“We are aware of the claim and expect any statements we have about the matter to be presented in the course of the court proceeding,” MU spokesman Christopher Ave wrote in an email to ABC 17 News on Monday.

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