Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three adults accused of felony murder in the shooting death of Michael Burke were indicted by a Boone County grand jury on Friday.

Joseph Crane, Kobe Aust and Alexis Baumann, all 18, are each charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and solo counts of felony murder. Crane and Aust, both of Columbia, are being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. Baumann, of Hallsville, bonded out of jail on Feb. 10.

Crane and Aust were scheduled be arraigned on Monday afternoon, while Baumann’s arraignment is set for 9 a.m. Monday, March 30.

A juvenile is accused of shooting Burke during a Jan. 18 cellphone sale that was organized through Facebook Marketplace. The juvenile has not been publicly identified by authorities, but is accused of being the shooter in court documents.

Court documents in previous reporting say Baumann allegedly told officers the juvenile suspect shot Burke, took his iPhone and then sold it at an ecoATM at the Walmart on Conley Road.

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nearly two years after the line-of-duty death of Boone County Fire Protection Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Tobben, the two fire agencies involved in the response say they’re working to implement recommendations from a follow-up report.

Tobben, 42, died during a swift-water rescue on July 8, 2024, when his boat lost power and capsized near Bear Creek. Columbia firefighter Derek Abbott and the two people rescued were thrown into the water, but Tobben never resurfaced. An autopsy report showed Tobben drowned.

Columbia Fire initially responded to the call, with a team trying to launch a boat upstream, but the high currents were too powerful for the 30-horsepower boat engine. CFD then called Boone County for help.

A report by the Boone County Fire Protection District recommends that Columbia Fire and BCFPD conduct joint swift water rescue training and standardize procedures.

The report emphasizes that effective mutual aid requires shared expectations, terminology and safety practices. In addition to joint training, pre-incident coordination and clear communications are critical to safe and effective mutual aid operations, according to the report.

BCFPD Assistant Fire Chief Gale Blomenkamp said Tobben’s death hit both organizations hard. He says the event was a reminder that both agencies need to be working together to better serve the community.

Boone County Fire Protection District report on Tobben line-of-duty deathDownload

“This is a time as soon as that event occurred, it was the time for the two organizations to become closer, not further apart,” Blomenkamp said. “I worry that we haven’t gotten there yet. I worry that the two agencies, Columbia Fire and Boone County Fire, are not as close as we should be. Because we should be able to lean on each other, especially in times like that,”

While discussions about joint training began early, collaboration is slow. Blomenkamp hopes upcoming meetings between CFD Chief Brian Schaeffer and new BCFPD Chief Doug Westoff will get the two agencies working together.

“I think it’s going to take some understanding on everybody’s part. It’s hard sometimes to swallow pride and say, ‘Yeah, we can do things better, we know that we can.'” Blomenkamp said. “There’s no doubt about that. We can do things better, and we should do better. Again, this is an event that I don’t think there’s blame to be laid anywhere,”

An internal CFD review was released on June 25, 2025. The review calls for more powerful boats and more frequent training.

The report also calls for joint training programs with mutual aid partners and agencies that will operate together.

“The fire district’s very good at what we do. We don’t do it the same,” Blomenkmap said. “When it comes to working together, we have to train together so we can understand that, and we can do those high-risk things the same, and we can do them safely and effectively. Our community does that. I think they should demand the two agencies working together.”

Schaeffer said in a statement that CFD has implemented most of the reports recommendations, and the remaining items are equipment-related.

“We remain committed to continuous improvement and to strengthening our working relationships with the diverse agencies we support across the region,” Schaeffer wrote.

Watch ABC 17 News at 10 on Wednesday for a special report on the lessons learned from Tobben’s death.

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Ryan Shiner

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

One person is dead and another has been detained after a “weapons offense” was reported early Monday in Jefferson City, according to a Monday afternoon press release from the Jefferson City Police Department.

Police described the event as a homicide. The release says officers were called at 1:09 a.m. to the 800 block of Fairmont Boulevard.

Lincoln University confirmed in an email to ABC 17 News that one of its students was killed in the off-campus incident. Fairmount Boulevard is next to LU’s campus.

A male was found injured in a residence and later died from his injuries, the report says. Another person was arrested and brought to the Cole County Jail.

“Our thoughts are with family, friends, faculty, staff, and all who have been impacted by this tragic situation. The well-being of our University community is our greatest priority. Students and employees are reminded of counseling and other support services for those who need them,” LU’s statement says.

The name of the person detained or the victim were not released on Monday afternoon. The type of weapon was also not described by police. Spokesman Jason Payne told ABC 17 News that he could not release that information at this time, citing the ongoing investigation.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state senator who serves Callaway and Montgomery counties said Monday that he will not seek reelection, instead taking a job with a public-private economic development partnership.

Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit), announced on his Facebook page Monday — the day before filing for the August primary begins — that he is taking a job as director of the Missouri Technology Corporation. The MTC is a public-private business development partnership with a focus on biosciences.

“To everyone in District 10 — Callaway, Lincoln, Montgomery, Pike, and our beloved slice of St. Charles County — and to all of you who’ve backed me along the way: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your encouragement, your prayers, your trust — they’ve meant the world to me and my family,” Fitzwater wrote.

Fitzwater was first elected to the General Assembly in 2014 and served eight years in the House before his election to the Senate in 2022.

One other Republican has filed paperwork to raise money in District 10 — Wentzville municipal judge Mike Carter. No Democrat has filed fundraising paperwork.

Fitzwater says he will serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team will continue conference play on Tuesday when Tennessee comes to Mizzou Arena.

The Tigers fell short of an upset against Arkansas last week in Fayetteville.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking the public’s input on its proposal for major improvements to Business Loop 70 and Paris Road.

“An at grade intersection where you can make all those different turns, regardless of which direction you’re coming from at that intersection,” said MODOT Improve I-70: Rocheport to Columbia Project Director Spencer Robinson.

The changes would be part of MODOT’s Improve I-70 Project. Both the Paris Road and the Business Loop Road safety audits conducted by the City of Columbia flagged problems with the intersection.

Plans shared Monday by the Business Loop Community Improvement District include raising the Business Loop to the same level as other roads near the intersection. The Paris Road bridge will also be removed. Once it’s removed, that section of Business Loop will be wide enough for sidewalks and bike lanes.

The area is known for its tricky turns and redirection through nearby neighborhood streets.

“If you’re coming north from like College Avenue and you’re trying to turn either direction on Business Loop, you have to cut through some neighborhood streets to get to old 63, to get to that light, to be able to turn onto business loop,” Robinson said.

The COLT Railroad bridge would be removed, but the track bed would be preserved, widened and fortified. Columbia Parks and Recreation is seeking input on railbanking the COLT line as the first step to a rails-to-trails project.

Robinson said the future improvements will help with the additional traffic expected after the integration of the roundabout connecting the Business Loop to I-70 Eastbound.

“That connects directly to and from eastbound I-70 off of a barrier separated collector distributor road. So it’ll be kind of an on and off point if you’re on eastbound I-70 from the business loop,” Robinson said.

While that roundabout is complete, Robinson said the I-70 connection won’t happen for about another year.

An engineer’s drawing of the new intersection. (Missouri Department of Transportation)

MoDOT and contractor Emery Sapp & Sons will have two public hearings to highlight the basic project plans, construction phasing, and schedule of the Improve I-70: Rocheport to Columbia project from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 2 at the Boone Electric headquarters and from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 4 at Midway Golf and Games. 

MODOT says the construction will begin in 2028.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Fayette woman was sentenced Monday to life in prison in the April 2021 death of a child.

In January, Jennifer Johnson, 49, was found guilty of felony murder in the second degree and two counts of first-degree child endangerment in the April 2021 death of Hannah Kent.

Judge Brouck Jacobs sentenced Johnson to life in prison on the murder count and 15 years on each of the endangerment counts.

According to court documents, Hannah’s mother, Lanetta Hill, found the child about 8:30 a.m. unresponsive and cool to the touch after returning home and immediately noticed bruising. Hill took the infant to Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Testimony during the first two days of the trial detailed Hannah’s condition after being left in Jennifer Johnson’s care. Police and medical witnesses described bruising and brain injuries consistent with recent trauma.

Hill gave a victim-impact statement in court on Monday afternoon.

“I left my baby in her care believing she would be safe, loved and protected. Instead, my daughter was harmed and lost her life. The person I trusted to watch over my child became the reason I will never hold her again. That betrayal will stay with me forever,” Hill said.

Investigators testified they found baby formula on Johnson’s clothing, and testing showed blood on the shirt belonged to Hannah.

“I constantly replay the moment I entrusted her care to someone I believe was my friend, and the guilt and heartbreak are unbearable,” Hill said during Monday’s impact statement. “No punishment can bring my baby back, but I ask the court to fully recognize the severity of this crime, not only the taking an innocent life, but the deep betrayal of trust that made it possible.” 

Johnson’s daughter Angela Johnson was not pleased with the outcome of the case.

“I feel crushed. I feel like none of this… this case wasn’t taken serious. I feel like the jury trial was a piece of crap. There was a lot of errors that obviously no one even paid attention to,” Angela Johnson said after the trial. “With me getting back on a lot of the reports that was given back on what happened, I just think my mom should not be in there (prison).”

Jennifer Johnson denied any knowledge of what had happened. Phone records, however, showed messages sent from her phone about drugs during hours she said she was asleep.

“She’s told us that she didn’t do it. She has remorse for the baby dying. Everyone’s going to cry when someone dies,” said Elizabeth Beaman, who is Jennifer Johnson’s daughter-in-law. “She cared for this family. She cared for everybody. She’s a caring person, but. She’s not going to have remorse for something she didn’t do. She’s not going to admit to something she didn’t do.”

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Matthew Sanders

A massive buildup of American firepower in the Middle East, along with bellicose rhetoric from President Donald Trump, has many wondering if a strike on Iran is imminent.

The military has many options, from strikes like those that damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities to regime change actions. And the U.S. has the support of a powerful regional ally in Israel.

Democrats and some Republican members of Congress insist that military action in Iran should come with a congressional resolution. What do you think?

Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Missouri Supreme Court Justice knocked down a law last month that would allow the Secretary of State to rewrite unfair ballot summaries, instead of a judge. Lawmakers are taking another go at passing a similar law and making it stick this time.

Rep. John Simmons (R-Washington) introduced House Bill 3146 that would give Secretary of State Denny Hoskins three tries to rewrite ballot language if a judge finds it unfair. It would also increase the word limit from 50 to 100 words and require actions challenging the language to be completed 70 days before election day.

Simmons’ bill is closely modeled after Senate Bill 22, but omits one clause regarding the powers of the Attorney General.

Chief Justice Brent Powell wrote in his opinion that the SB 22 clause was unrelated to the original intent of the bill and declared the whole bill unconstitutional.

The House elections committee voted to pass HB 3146 on Tuesday. It was then referred to the administrative rules committee on Thursday. It is not on the agenda for the next meeting.

The law currently requires a judge to rewrite the ballot language.

For example, Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled on Friday that language in a ballot summary that would make initiative petitions harder to pass was unconstitutional because it included what some call “ballot candy.”

Because SB 22 was knocked down last month, Green is in charge of rewriting the ballot language instead of sending it back to Hoskins.

Earlier this month, Hoskins admitted to writing biased ballot language for a referendum that would put the 2025 congressional map on the November ballot. In a lawsuit challenging the language. Hoskins’ legal team is asking a Cole County judge to allow the Secretary of State to rewrite the language.

The judge is now considering the state’s request and deliberating on arguments. A judgment hasn’t been issued.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No one was reported to be injured after a car crashed into a fire hydrant in southeast Columbia on Sunday morning.

According to a Columbia police officer at the scene, the crash happened around 5:15 a.m. in the 800 block of Grey Oak Drive, near its intersection with Grey Oak Drive.

A car drove over the fire hydrant, the officer said. An ABC 17 News reporter saw the hydrant completely knocked off the water main, with water flowing into the street around 5:40 a.m.

A tow truck also was seen removing the car from the area. It had heavy damage to the front, and its airbags were deployed.

ABC 17 News reached out to the Columbia Police Department to find out the cause of the crash and the Columbia Water and Light Department regarding the fire hydrant.

Check back for updates.

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