Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former police officer who shot and killed a 13-pound, blind-and-deaf dog last year in Sturgeon has been charged with a misdemeanor.

Myron Woodson, of Moberly, was charged on Thursday with misdemeanor first-degree trespassing for an alleged incident that occurred on Sept. 29. A court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Boone County Courthouse.

Court documents say Woodson was trespassed from a property owned by Bluffs Boone Retirement Home days prior.

The probable cause statement says Woodson arrived at the location on Sept. 24 as a “court document server to serve civil court papers” to a resident, but the manager was not sure how Woodson entered the building. The manager allegedly told Woodson to leave, but “Woodson acted as if he was some kind of Officer, and threatened to get” the victim arrested, the statement says.

Woodson arrived at the location again on Sept. 29 and was told to leave the property, the statement says. Police allegedly called Woodson and Woodson asked if he was trespassed, the statement says. Police told him to not go back to the property.

Woodson then went back to the property again and refused to leave when the manager told him to, but then stood by his vehicle, court documents say. Woodson allegedly told police he could not be arrested because he’s a “process server for Cole County,” the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Versailles man was charged with a child sex crime after he was accused of trying to entice who he thought was a 15-year-old girl.

Thomas Burrows, 67, was charged with child enticement and is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $250,000 bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Morgan County Courthouse.

The probable cause statement says the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call on Monday alleging that Burrows had been having sexual in nature conversations with a child. Thomas allegedly believed he was sending messages to a 15-year-old in Hannibal and had talked about meeting the child, the statement says.

Law enforcement spoke with Thomas on Tuesday, where he alleged he stopped talking to the other person when he learned their age. Deputies reviewed messages on Thomas’ phone, which allegedly showed he was not telling the truth.

The probable cause statement details several inappropriate messages allegedly sent between the two parties, including several messages occurring after the other person claimed to be 15 years old.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge was supposed to hear arguments Thursday on a redistricting lawsuit filed by a group that wants to get the governor’s “Missouri First” map on the 2026 ballot, but an intervenor stepped in and was granted a judge change.

Put Missouri First is a political group backing the new congressional map, and has now pushed the trial to Nov. 21.

People Not Politicians attorney Chuck Hatfield said intervenors can be anyone who has a stake in the lawsuit.

An attorney for Put Missouri First said the stake for his client is campaign money and advocacy–as in wanting to protect the congressional map.

According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, the group received $50,000 from the National Republican Congressional Committee and another $50,000 from the Republican National Committee. Put Missouri First received both contributions on Nov. 5.

Hatfield said Thursday’s actions were out of line.

“The shenanigans that are happening here are unprecedented. They’re ridiculous and they’re undemocratic,” Hatfield said.

People Not Politicians sued Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for failing to approve a referendum to overturn the new congressional map passed by the Missouri General Assembly.

The group argues this is illegal because the form was rejected — not for its content, but because the governor didn’t sign the new congressional maps into law, which People Not Politicians says is the problem.

The state argues this lawsuit is no longer relevant because Hoskins has already approved the referendum for circulation, according to pretrial briefs.

People Not Politicians Executive Director Richard von Glahn said 92,000 people signed the referendum petition before Hoskins approved it.

“Because of these delays and tactics, they’re not sure if they should sign the petition a second time or not, and the secretary of state has insinuated that if they do, they’re breaking the law,” von Glahn said.

Hoskins approved the exact ballot language that was submitted before and was rejected. von Glahn said signatures can be collected as soon as it’s submitted.

Shortly after approving the referendum, Hoskins filed a federal lawsuit to stop the petition from circulating, arguing that a referendum can’t be done on congressional redistricting. A federal judge is set to hear those arguments in November.

When Hoskins approved the referendum, he said in a press release that any signatures collected before approval are invalid. People Not Politicians will argue in Thursday’s trial that signatures can be collected once the form has been submitted.

The state will argue that it is a moot point because signatures haven’t been submitted yet, according to the pretrial brief.

The new congressional map is likely to cut out a Democratic seat in Congress.

During Wednesday’s trial, on a separate redistricting lawsuit, the state claimed the lawsuit was a political matter, saying the plaintiffs were upset with the state’s move to redistrict and the political gains in Congress.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia teen has been charged with murder for a May deadly shooting just outside the city limits.

Anthony K. Marine, 17, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in the death of a person identified in a probable cause statement by the initials Z.N.

Marine, who was a minor at the time of the shooting, admitted to a detective that he and his friends had gathered to watch a fight when he shot Z.N. in the chest, then ran from the scene, according to a probable cause statement. Marine allegedly said he hid the gun.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office said at the time of the shooting that a 16-year-old had been detained.

The teen suspect and the victim were part of groups that had met up for two youths to fight that evening in the 1300 block of North Frideriki Drive, according to a Boone County Sheriff’s Office news release. An 18-year-old man was found unresponsive and not breathing outside a home with a gunshot wound and died at the scene.

The sheriff’s office says a video also put Marine at the scene, firing a shot at Z.N. and running away.

Marine was in the Boone County Jail on Thursday evening with no bond.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A suspect involved in a deadly shooting on Dove Drive in north Columbia in 2023 took a plea deal Thursday.

Damarkus Williams, 20, was given a 10-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a guilty plea to second-degree conspiracy to commit murder.

Williams had been charged with first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon in the death of Deshon Houston in June 2023.

Lacondance Houston, Deshon’s mother, spoke with ABC 17 News following court today.

“Do I think 10 years is enough? No, 10 years is not enough but it is what it is. We’re getting some justice for him,” Houston said.

Seven people total were charged in the Dove Dr. shooting. Ja’shaun Barney is the only one who has not pleaded guilty.

Court documents say Deazes Turner, Deljuan Turner and Alqueze Jones shot and killed Deshon Houston from a white 2017 Ford Explorer driven by Barney, while Bryton Allen also shot at Houston from an Acura MDX driven by Williams.

All of the men were 21 years old or younger when the shooting first happened. They originally had second-degree murder charges, which were later upgraded to first-degree murder.

Lacondance said a change needs to happen among the Columbia community.

“We need to put more positivity into our black youth, young boys, because we’re losing them,” she said. “We need to start from the root of the problem which is younger adult males out here that are leading these kids to do foolishness.”

Deljuan Turner pleaded guilty in November last year to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Jones, 21, pleaded guilty that same month to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Allen, 22, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to 20 years. He was also sentenced to four years in prison in an unrelated case where he pleaded guilty to resisting arrest in 2021.

Deazes Turner, 22, pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Jajuan Crockett, 23, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in May to second-degree murder, tampering with a motor vehicle, two counts of stealing and one count of tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Williams, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, will have to serve 85% of his 10-year sentence before he is eligible for parole. He will get credit for time served.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 65-year-old woman from St. Louis was seriously injured Wednesday in a crash on Highway 63 in Macon County, about seven miles north of Macon, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a 2011 Toyota Sienna – driven by the woman – was disabled in the northbound lane after it hit a deer. A 2017 Ford Explorer – driven by a 49-year-ld man from Kirksville – hit the front driver’s side of the vehicle while heading northbound, the report says.

The woman was brought to Northeast Regional Medical Center with serious injuries, the report says. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts and the Kirksville man had no reported injuries. Both vehicles were totaled.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

All eight members of Missouri’s U.S. House delegation voted Wednesday on the bill that is expected to the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.

Six Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while the state’s two Democrats voted against it.

The House passed the government funding bill by a vote of 222-209. President Donald Trump signed the measure lWednesday evening.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City)’s office referred to a Nov. 10 statement, which says he opposed the legislation to end the government shutdown because it would raise health care costs for families in his district.

“From the very beginning of the Republican shutdown, I have said that I cannot support legislation that raises the health care costs of hardworking families across Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District. Unfortunately, the legislation proposed in the Senate will ensure that tens of thousands of my constituents see their health care premiums skyrocket, some by more than double what they are today,” the statement says.

Among Republicans, Republican Rep. Mark Alford celebrated the passage of the bill on X, writing “America: hostage no more. HouseGOP jut voted to reopen our nation by passing a CLEAN, AMERICA-FIRST BILL. AMERICA IS back!”

America: hostage no more.@HouseGOP just voted to reopen our nation by passing a CLEAN, AMERICA-FIRST bill. America is BACK!

Next up, @POTUS desk! ✍️📜🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/D20XCsBDG7

— Rep. Mark Alford (@RepMarkAlford) November 13, 2025

Republican Rep. Sam Graves also took to X following the vote, saying the end of the shutdown marked relief for federal workers and military personnel.

“Senator Schumer’s senseless shutdown is finally coming to an end. Many Americans, including our air traffic controllers, members of our military, and many more, were held hostage for 43 days purely for political gain.” Graves said.

Senator Schumer’s senseless shutdown is finally coming to an end. Many Americans, including our air traffic controllers, members of our military, and many more, were held hostage for 43 days purely for political gain. I appreciate our air traffic controllers and other…

— Rep. Sam Graves (@RepSamGraves) November 13, 2025

Republican Rep. Bob Onder also took to X, writing, “The Democrat shutdown is finally over and the federal government is back open for the American people. I voted to fund the government on September 19th, and I voted again tonight to do the same.”

The Democrat shutdown is finally over and the federal government is back open for the American people.

I voted to fund the government on September 19th, and I voted again tonight to do the same.

Watch my post-vote remarks here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/smc5DLms8S

— Bob Onder (@RepBobOnder) November 13, 2025

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley celebrated the passage saying on X, “Thank you to our military, law enforcement, air traffic controllers and my dedicated team for showing up for your fellow Americans amidst a shutdown. You are Patriots. This never should’ve happened. We thank you for your service and love of country.”

.@realDonaldTrump just signed Republican legislation to reopen the government.

Thank you to our military, law enforcement, air traffic controllers and my dedicated team for showing up for your fellow Americans amidst a shutdown.

You are Patriots. This never should’ve happened.…

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) November 13, 2025

The shutdown caused thousands of flight cancellations and delays nationwide as TSA agents, Air Traffic Controllers were not getting paid. SNAP benefits were also paused due to the shutdown.

The legislation will fund the government through Jan. 30 and provide funding for some government agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen on Wednesday decided to enter an agreement with Osage Casinos to build an entertainment district.

A press release says The Osage Nation and the City of Lake Ozark entered into an agreement that includes municipal services, infrastructure improvements and government funding. Highlights from the agreements include the following payments by The Nation:

Contributing 2.5% on adjusted gross gaming receipts and a 1% resort fee on hotel rooms.

Paying the normal rate for water and sewer. 

Contributing $100,000 annually for police services.

Paying for a turn lane to be placed in the right of way in front of its property on Bagnell Dam Boulevard. 

“This partnership with the Osage Nation represents a defining moment for the City of Lake Ozark. These agreements show what can be achieved when governments work together in good faith to strengthen our community and prepare for the future. The Osage Nation’s investment will bring new opportunities, jobs, and tourism to our city. Now that we have these agreements in place, that address many of the questions raised by our residents, we are proud to support this historic step forward,” Mayor David Ridgely said in a statement.

 The new property is part of a new entertainment district in Missouri announced last fall by the Osage Nation. The proposed site is at 3501 Bagnell Damn Blvd. and is expected to be completed in multiple phases, with an estimated $60 million investment in the region, previous reporting says.

Phase 1 of the process includes construction of a casino, sports bar, restaurant and meeting space. Additionally, it also includes a hotel, which will have general hotel rooms, suites, a fitness and exercise facility, a pool, hot tub and a pool bar. Phase 1 construction is expected to start upon approval from the Department of Interior.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri’s Young Democratic Democratic Socialists of America allege recent proposals from UM System President Mun Choi would lead to criminalizing homeless

The group held a town hall Wednesday night where roughly 50 students gathered to discuss policing and housing in the city. Councilwomen Valerie Carroll (Ward 1) and Vera Elwood (Ward 2) attended the town hall, offering insight into the issues.

Judy Carter with Columbia Mobile Aid Collective and Susan Maze with the Boone County Community Bail Fund were also at the meeting.

The town hall was held in response to recent calls from action from Choi after Stephens College student Ayanna Williams was shot and killed downtown in late September.

Since then, the city has taken steps toward increasing policing downtown, and Choi has called for a possible loitering ordinance and the cleanup of homeless encampments.

“The safety of our campus and the broader community is central to the success of our students and the university.  The university is committed to its ongoing collaboration with city of Columbia, Boone County and other partners to address crime-related issues, and it is appreciative of the actions already taken to make Columbia a safe and welcoming community.  Continued vigilance, accountability and decisive action are needed,” an MU spokesman wrote in a Wednesday statement to ABC 17 News.

YDSA views the proposals as “irrelevant” to addressing gun violence.

“We just want to make sure that students have a role in this not only just for discussion, but for actually acting,” YDSA Treasurer Cruz Lewis said to the crowd.

Carroll and Elwood were two out of the four council members who wrote letters in response to Choi’s proposals in October. The two wrote in the letter that they believed the city needs to separate the issue of homelessness and crime, as the two are not always related.

Students voiced concerns over the city’s clearing of homeless encampments in the city, asking if there have been any discussions amongst law enforcement and city leaders to dial back those efforts. Elwood said it isn’t always up to the city.

“If it is within the certain distance of a watershed we are required to send people in to remove it at the federal level so we need to be looking out for all of the reasons that people are coming under attack,” Elwood said

The city proposed a median ordinance last month that is expected to affect panhandling. The City Council is expected to vote on that during its Nov. 17 meeting. However, Ward 3 Councilwoman Jacque Sample is seeking a delay on the vote until council members are able to hear more information from other organizations and groups.

If adopted, the ordinance will:

Prohibit crossing a major road anywhere except in a crosswalk, a pedestrian-control signal or an intersection if those things aren’t available.

Prohibit being on a median less than 6 feet wide except when crossing the road.

Prohibit getting out of cars while in a traffic lane or within a major intersection.

Prohibit approaching cars on a major road unless the car is legally parked.

Prohibit people in vehicles from engaging with pedestrians at major intersection.

Students at Wednesday night’s meeting pushed back against the ordinance, emphasizing, again that the ordinance would criminalize homelessness in the city. Elwood said the council is still expected to vote on the ordinance during its Nov. 17 meeting, but she is pushing for it to be tabled. Elwood said it isn’t clear when the council would vote on it, if it is tabled.

Students also asked council members their thoughts about what they claim is over-policing in the city. Carroll said having a good balance between policing and public health is crucial.

“There is a place for policing and particularly as a lot of our resources are thin, sometimes they’re the only people you can call on,” Carroll said. “I also wanna say that they’re not always the best resource and I think we need to put our funds in developing um better mental health resources in this city.”

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Ryan Shiner

EDITOR’S NOTE: Doug Hunt’s full comments to the board have been added to the story.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Officers’ Association is asking the Citizens Police Review Board to remove one of its members over a social media comment that appeared to criticize the CPOA’s president.

The CPRB plans to discuss the issue at its regular meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday. The CPOA sent a letter on Oct. 27 asking the CPRB to remove Stephanie Yoakum after a screenshot appeared to show a Facebook comment where she criticized the behavior of Matthew Nichols, who also works as a Columbia police sergeant.

A probable cause statement in a misdemeanor prosecution case filed earlier this month that was written by Nichols described that he touched the defendant’s breasts during a sting.

A comment on a Facebook thread by Yoakum alleged it was “on-brand” for him. A second comment by Yoakum accused him of running a “local hate group page.”

A letter from the CPOA’s attorney Donald Weaver accuses the comment of violating “The Code of Ethics of the National Coalition on Civilian Law Enforcement,” and that “Yoakum has access to confidential material related to CPD internal investigation and the conduct of police officers.” Weaver also called allegations that Nichols helps run the Facebook page “The Real Columbia Missouri” false.

Yoakum is the board’s representative from the city’s Human Rights Commission. She responded with a letter of her own, and made several defenses, including that personal speech is protected and the comments were based on public information.

“I strongly believe this request represents a profound misunderstanding of the independence and fortitude required for effective civilian oversight,” Yoakum wrote in her letter. “Furthermore, it is a clear attempt to censor a board member’s participation in public discourse as a citizen and intimidate oversight practitioners. My comments are expressions of personal opinion and political belief, grounded in my community and personal experience, not official findings or statements made on behalf of the CPRB.”

CPRB member Doug Hunt wrote in a Nov. 12 email obtained by ABC 17 News that he planned to ask the board to take “no official action on the matter at this time.” Hunt wrote that Weaver’s allegation was not a “persistent failure” on Yoakum’s part to perform her duties, or even a failure of her duties at all.

2025_10_27_CPOA_Complaint_RE_CPRB_Board_Member_YoakumDownload

CPRB Yoakum ResponseDownload

Here is the full text of Hunt’s comments to the board:

On October 27 the attorney for the Columbia Police Officers Association sent a letter requesting that this Board recommend the removal of a member who participated in an online discussion in which a Columbia police officer was accused of inappropriate behavior.

The attorney’s letter offers two arguments for the removal. First, that when a CPRB member publicly accuses an officer of misconduct, people might assume that the accusation is based on confidential information to which the Board member had access.

Second, that posting the comments violated the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement’s Code of Ethics, which code CPRB members are required to adhere to.

The CPOA’s request creates a delicate situation for the Board, since public discussion of the dispute might damage the reputation of the officer involved, or the board member, or both. For that reason, I hope we can avoid naming names or giving other identifying information this evening.

At this point, I’m going to give my personal view on how we should respond to the CPOA’s request, and then invite other Board members to do the same.

Here’s the way I see it. In the ordinances that govern our Board, there is a sentence giving us authority to recommend the removal of a member. Here it is: “The board may recommend to the city council that a board member be removed from the board if the member persistently fails to perform the duties of office.”

In this case, the CPOA attorney has not accused the board member of a persistent failure to perform the duties of office. He has pointed to a single incident. And so our authority to act is blocked by the word “persistent.”

In addition, it isn’t clear that this incident amounted to a failure to do the duties of office.

The duties of the board are specifically listed in Section 21-49 of the ordinance. They have to do with reviewing complaints, hearing appeals, and submitting annual reports. Nothing in the CPOA letter indicates a failure to participate in the execution of these duties.

The CPOA’s letter suggests that the social media post violated the Code of Ethics of the National Coalition on Civilian Law Enforcement, which members are obliged to follow. But the Code offers only very general guidelines for board members. It says, for instance, that we are to “pursue open, candid, and non-defensive dialog with our stakeholders” and to “educate and learn from the community.”

These are, as the preamble to the Code makes clear, very general and aspirational guidelines. They are intended to express the spirit in which we will serve, not descriptions of particular actions that are required or forbidden. Using such aspirational guidelines to justify ejecting someone from the Board is clearly problematic.

It may be that the City should modify our ordinances to include a more specific statement that board members are to refrain from publicly criticizing either police officers or citizens who complain about police officers. At this point, however, there is no such explicit statement.

All things considered, it appears that the Board would be exceeding its authority by recommending the removal of this member. Therefore, my inclination would be to take no official action on the matter at this time.

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