Category: kmiz-local-news

Sutton Parker

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

A judge has found a former Moberly police officer guilty in the murder of a woman who confronted him at his front door,

Judge Robert Koffman found David Heyde guilty of second-degree murder in the case of Baily Scott at the end of his bench trial Friday morning.

Koffman ruled that there was no evidence that Heyde acted in self-defence.

The bench trial got underway Thursday in Randolph County. Heyde was accused of shooting and killing Scott on his property last July.

Scott was found with a gunshot wound in her right torso outside Heyde’s home on July 6, 2025.

Heyde told police he fired two shots at Scott, court documents say. He claimed self-defense, saying Scott hit him during an argument after she alleged he was “attempting to kill birds at the front of his property,” according to the probable cause statement.

Scott “had no obvious signs of trauma or injury to either of her hands,” the statement says.

Heyde waived his right to testify, and his defense did not call on any new individuals to take the stand as the trial wrapped up Friday. The state argued in closing that the evidence did not support legal use of deadly force.

The state also pushed back on claims by Heyde that he was hit by Scott, noting that in several interviews, Heyde used different language to describe the encounter.

The defense argued that, regardless of the wording, Heyde had been consistent in interviews that there had been some sort of physical altercation.

The defense also claimed that Heyde had every reason to believe that he was in fear of his life, and that was the ultimate reason for Heyde’s use of deadly force.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Stover woman was seriously injured during an accident in Camden County on Thursday morning.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a 65-year-old Stover woman was driving in a 2010 Dodge Nitro southbound on Missouri Highway 5 north of Harvest Road.

Troopers said the vehicle blew a tire and skidded off the right side of the road. The vehicle went back on the road before going off the left side and striking a concrete bridge rail.

The woman was taken to Lake Regional Hospital by Mercy Ambulance. The woman was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to the report.

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Matthew Sanders

Budget time is here again for schools, whose fiscal year begins July 1.

That means administrators and school boards are facing some thorny outlooks, some worse than others, when it comes to funding. The Missouri General Assembly didn’t provide the funding increase that educators had sought last session, and school districts say that puts them in a bind with increasing employee salaries and other costs.

Public school funding is one of the primary duties of the legislature, but many education advocates have long been critical that the General Assembly isn’t doing its job. Depending on who you ask, the state ranks anywhere from No. 49 to somewhere in the 30s when it comes to education funding.

Do you think the General Assembly funds public education appropriately? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri Board of Curators on Thursday unanimously passed the fiscal year 2027 budget during its meeting in Springfield.

Meeting documents show budgeted revenue from grants and contracts at the Columbia campus is expected to fall 12% from 2026, while S&T in Rolla is expecting a 13% loss from 2026. UMKC is not expecting any change and UMSL will see 1% in growth.

The document says UMSL’s grant revenue is expected to grow because fewer than 10% comes from federal sources.

The “all funds budget” across the entire university system – which includes its four schools and MU Health Care – is $5.49 billion, with the total operating expensive being $5.34 billion. The operating expense of the Columbia campus is $2.08 billion while MU Health Care’s is $2.18 billion, per meeting documents.

The Columbia campus is expecting to see a 3.3% undergraduate enrollment increase, while the graduate schools and professional enrollment is expected to decline by 1.5%, documents say. First-time college freshmen is expected to grow by 1.8%.

“Overall undergraduate enrollment is also expected to increase as a larger incoming class replaces a smaller graduating cohort. Graduate enrollment is budgeted to remain flat, with increased enrollment in professional doctoral programs offset by declines in non-professional graduate enrollment,” documents say.

For undergraduate enrollment, UMKC is expecting a 3.2% growth, S&T is expecting 3.1% and UMSL is expecting a decline of 2.1%. For graduate and enrollment programs, UMKC is expecting to see a drop in 6%, S&T is expecting a 9.3% decline and UMSL’s is a 3.9% decline.

FIN 1 ACTION 1 – FY27 Operating Budget COMBINEDDownload

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash report from the University of Missouri Police Department says a crash last week that involved Columbia’s mayor occurred after another driver rode through a red light.

The report –which was obtained by ABC 17 News through a records request – says a 2027 Hyundai Sonata was driven by Ava Schweser. The Hyundai was heading southbound on College Avenue when it approached the intersection with University Avenue on June 18.

The report says the driver failed to stop at “a solid red light” and hit a 2025 Hyundai Ioniq – which was driven by Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe – while it was heading westbound. The impact from the crash led to Buffaloe’s vehicle to hit a city bus, the report says.

Edin Kajtaz, the driver of the bus, told police that he saw Buffaloe’s vehicle get hit by the Sonata, according to the report. Another person, described as a witness, was sitting in their vehicle in one of the southbound lanes while the light was red and claimed the Sonata “flew by he through the red light and collided with” Buffaloe’s vehicle, the report says.

A passenger in one of the vehicles reported having a pain around their neck, but did not go to a hospital. Kajtaz had pain on the left side of his body and was brought to University Hospital by ambulance, the report says.

Both Hyundais were towed from the scene.

A diagram from a crash report shows how a crash involving Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe occurred on June, 18, 2026.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were arrested Wednesday morning in Sedalia during a law enforcement operation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Lazaro Joaquin-Ruiz, of Sedalia, was charged with drug possession, resisting arrest and violating an order of protection. Alondra Reyes Hernandez was charged with drug possession and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Both are being held on $10,000 bonds. Mugshots were not immediately available on Thursday afternoon.

Joaquin-Ruiz had a failure-to-appear warrant for his arrest in connection with a drug possession charge from April in Pettis County.

Deputies and agents allegedly tried contacting Joaquin-Ruiz at a residence and were told by a passerby that he was in a shed, the statement says. Joaquin-Ruiz was seen in the shed while holding the door shut, the statement says. Law enforcement officers were able to open the door and had to use a stun gun to subdue Joaquin-Ruiz, court documents say.

Methamphetamine was found in the shed, the statement says.

Law enforcement later gave commands for Reyes Hernandez to get out of her residence and used a drone to check out the inside of the home, the statement says. Reyes Hernandez and her three children were found in the residence, along with meth that was “within reach of any of the children,” court documents allege.

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Haley Swaino

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City School District is projected to receive $2.4 million less in state funding than it had hoped next school year.

The Jefferson City Board of Education voted unanimously to pass the fiscal year 2026-27 budget at its meeting Thursday night. According to district documents, the state did not approve full funding of the foundation formula, holding funding flat instead of budgeting an increase to keep up with inflation.

Instead of $7,145 per student, the state will pay out $6,865, board documents state.

The foundation formula determines state aid for K-12 local public schools, and the Missouri General Assembly voted not to increase it for the next fiscal year. Because of that, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is short $190 million, and many school districts will be weighing budget cuts.

Chief Financial Officer for the district Shari LePage told the board Thursday that it is prepared to face the “cut” in state funding because of what is available in reserves.

“Hopefully we can weather these funding shortages for the time being,” LePage said. “But we won’t be able to weather them forever.”

The JC School District is projecting more than $138 million in revenue, an 0.8% increase from this year’s budget. Expenditures are projected to be over $135 million, a 6% increase.

Budget documents state the increased cost is largely due to teacher and staff pay raises, increased benefits, and the addition of new staff roles at the Jefferson City Academic Center.

The district says the loss in funding is not expected to affect staffing.

About 1,300 full-time employees work in the district. The board plans to cut six positions due to lower elementary enrollment, but add at least six more at other schools. The 2026-27 budget includes four new staff members for the Jefferson City Academic Center, the addition of a fine arts coordinator at East Elementary and an extra math teacher at Capital City High School.

In the previous year, the state increased funding by more than $500 million in the public school foundation formula, Missouri State Rep.Ed Lewis (R-Moberly), who helped craft the most recent state budget, told ABC 17 News Tuesday.

Missouri currently ranks 49th nationally in the percentage of school funding provided by state sources.

The Jefferson City Board of Education said it’s keeping an eye on the foundation formula and property tax reform which make up 21.09% and 48.29% of its 2026-27 revenues, respectively.

The board held its June 25 meeting at 6 p.m. at the Dix Road Education Center in Jefferson City.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three more men were charged with child enticement on Thursday in Boone County.

Ethan Deimeke, 27, of Auxvasse; David Burres, 32; and Brice Morris, 34, of Columbia;  were all charged on Thursday. They are all being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and have initial court appearances set for 1 p.m. Friday.

Court documents in all three cases state each man separately messaged a “decoy on an escort website” who they believed were youth on Wednesday. The brief statements for Deimeke and Morris say they believed their decoy was 16 years old and Burres believed his to be 14 years old.

The statements say Deimeke arrived at a Boone County address at 6:15 p.m. and “was in possession of the exact dollar amount discussed and a particular soft drink for the minor.”

Burres was detained when he arrived at 7 p.m. and Morris arrived at 8:15 p.m. Burres allegedly did not deny that he intended to meet a minor for sex and Morris allegedly admittedly his intent to pay for sex with a minor, court documents indicate.

Rollie Pogue, 29, of Moberly; and Jose Jimenzez, 54, of Columbia; were charged on Wednesday with the same charge. They are both being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. Arraignment were scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Court documents in both cases say they also messaged a decoy on an escort website on Tuesday, who they believed was 16 years old. Both men were arrested around 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to court documents.

Daniel Follett, 56, and Rifat Apurba, 30, were also arrested earlier this week under similar circumstances and are charged with child enticement. They are both being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

An arraignment for Follett was set for Thursday afternoon. Apurba waived his preliminary hearing on Thursday.

Follett was the general counsel for the Department of Revenue. A DOR spokesperson confirmed to ABC 17 News on Thursday that the department was aware of Follett’s charges and that he had been terminated from his position.

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Mitchell Kaminski

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

With severe weather approaching Kansas City, the FIFA Fan Festival closed at 2 p.m. as a precaution.  Minutes later, thunder was heard in the area, followed by a sudden downpour as the skies opened up.

KC FanFest later posted on social media that they would not reopen on Thursday.

However, the looming rain did little to dampen the spirits of thousands of Dutch supporters who took to the streets in a march stretching more than a mile and a half through downtown Kansas City. Known as the Oranje Army, fans filled the streets with color and energy during their traditional fan walk to the stadium ahead of the Netherlands’ match against Tunisia.

Many of those same fans had attended the FIFA Fan Festival later in the day, and the approaching storms did little to dampen their spirits. Fans were seen dancing and chanting, even after the announcement that Fan Fest was closing early. 

“Look at Kansas City. What an amazing city to support the sport of soccer,” Kriston Kaylor, a Kansas City resident who was a part of the march, said. “Now we just move to the city and support all of the vendors there.” 

FIFA Fan Festival officials told ABC 17 News that, under standard safety protocols, organizers make announcements over the public address system when severe weather is approaching, with the goal of clearing fans from the area before storms arrive.

Reasons for shutting down Fanfest include a lightning strike within eight miles, a wind gust over 30 mph or if there is a threat of severe storms in the area. 

However, officials told ABC 17 News that if organizers are unable to clear the event in time, a designated storm shelter is available at an undisclosed location in case of emergency. They added that the location is not being made public due to security concerns.

Fan Festival has drawn massive crowds throughout the tournament. As of Tuesday, organizers say it has welcomed 147,000 visitors.

The thousands of Dutch fans who descended on Kansas City will only add to that total. Barnett Thompson said he made his first trip to Fanfest on Thursday with his son after seeing the Oranje Army. 

“My son’s really big into soccer and thought it would be a cool experience. It’s cool seeing Kansas City get an opportunity like this. We saw the Oranje Army, and though it’s going to bring a lot of people out, Thompson said. “I don’t think [the rain] even matters. We are just happy to be here and are going to enjoy downtown Kansas City.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A restaurant owner in Jefferson City who is accused of harboring people with “an illegal immigration status” turned himself in to law enforcement, the Department of Justice wrote in a Thursday press release.

Danny Cheng, 46, who owns Dragon Kitchen in the 2200 block of Missouri Boulevard, is accused of running a “dormitory” of people who were not citizens in the 800 block of Crestmere Court.

At least five people were seen living in the home, according to the probable cause statement.

Details in the court documents described more than one employee working 12 hours per day, six days a week at the restaurant and were not given paystubs.

Cheng was already accused of withholding more than $935,000 in employee wages

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