Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A case where police allegedly found 17 pounds of methamphetamine in a diaper bag in a Cyber Truck has moved to federal court.

Asia Schafer, 24, were charged in federal court last week with conspiracy to distribute and three counts of possession with the intent to distribute; while Kenneth Williams, 41, was charged with two counts of possession with the intent to distribute and one count of illegal gun possession.

Schafer was booked into the Cole County Jail on Friday, while Williams is not listed on a jail roster.

Court document in previous reporting say a Columbia police officer was monitoring traffic around 1:30 p.m. June 26 when a Tesla Cybertruck with dark windows was seen heading eastbound on Interstate 70 near the Stadium Boulevard exit. The statement says the tint in the windows was too dark and tested at 11% light transmittance, with state law requiring 35%.

The officer pulled over the vehicle at Broadway and Keene Street, the statement says. Schafer allegedly told police that she was coming from the park for lunch, but the officer wrote that he “had prior knowledge that the vehicle was coming from Kansas City and Schafer was lying.” She eventually stated she came from Kansas City, the statement says.

Law enforcement found about 17 pounds of methamphetamine in a diaper bag.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Pettis County deputy who shot and killed a 25-year-old Sedalia woman in June 2020 is facing two charges related to child pornography.

Jordan Schutte, 40, of Sedalia, was charged on Friday with child porn possession and first-degree promoting child porn. Court documents say Schutte appeared for a hearing by video from the Pettis County Jail. He is being held at the Miller County Jail on a $75,000 bond. A counsel status hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The probable cause statement says law enforcement received a CyberTip on Aug. 12 about child porn being uploaded to a SnapChat account. The account’s phone number matched Schutte’s and the phone number was verified for the account by SnapChat in 2022, the statement says.

The statement also says there is only one device associated with Schutte’s account.

The statement says Schutte allegedly posted child porn to his “private” SnapChat story, which is a feature that allows users to share images and video to a selected audience.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man accused of shooting and killing a Sturgeon man earlier this year is facing more felony charges.

Dalton Perkins, 32, of Sturgeon, is now charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree domestic assault and a count of unlawful use of a weapon after a superseding indictment was filed on Friday in Boone County.  An arraignment was held Monday morning. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

He was previously charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and first-degree domestic assault.

Deputies were called to the 18900 block of Route NN in northern Boone County at about 8 p.m. May 3 after Perkins shot the 56-year-old victim in a fight, according to the probable cause statement. The man had at least one gunshot wound to the torso and died at the scene despite being given life-saving aid, court documents in previous reporting say.

The witness who reported the shooting said Perkins shot at them, grabbed their hair and threw them from the porch, documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Monday after she pleaded guilty last month to two felonies.

Whitney Nevels-McKee, 37, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in October to six felonies, including armed criminal action and carjacking. She is being held at the Boone County Jail.

She was accused of shooting at another woman last year in the parking lot of the Conley Road Walmart in Columbia.

McKee allegedly pointed a gun at a woman and shot it near the woman’s head. Multiple witnesses told police that they saw Nevels-McKee fire the gun, court documents in previous reporting say.

Another witness had stated that she was approached by Nevels-McKee in the parking lot while driving a car, and Nevels-McKee acted like she was going to pull out a gun, court documents say.

A reporter saw gunshot damage to a car in the parking lot. No injuries were reported.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 33-year-old Columbia woman was charged with two felonies after she was accused of repeatedly using a phone charger to hurt a youth.

Breashia Grant was charged on Monday in Boone County with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree domestic assault. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held on Monday.

The probable cause statement says deputies were called to North Rocky Fork Drive after multiple neighbors called to say a youth appeared to be hiding when cars passed by.

The child was found by deputies and allegedly said they ran away because they were being abused at home, the statement says. The child told law enforcement Grant had hit them with a phone charger, the statement says.

The youth had injuries that appeared to be “fresh and scarred” that were “accumulated over time and not just one incident,” the statement says.

The child told deputies that Grant had assaulted them days before by hitting them with the cord, pushing them to the ground and kicking and punching them, the statement says. The victim was brought to University Hospital and had pain in their rib cage and head, the statement says.

The victim also claimed Grant withheld food for punishment and that they went as long as five days without food at one point, court documents say.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A group of private citizens has sued the state, asking a federal court to compel the Missouri Department of Mental Health to reduce criminal defendants’ wait times for mental health exams that determine their competency to stand trial.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in the Western District of Missouri, names the department along with several officials working for the state and seeks class action status. The plaintiffs are friends and family of several people who are waiting in jails for a competency evaluation.

The lawsuit claims the state is violating the due process and civil rights of people in jails waiting for mental evaluation and treatment. The plaintiffs want a preliminary injunction to force action by the state.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to force the state to reform its program to reduce wait times for exams and time spent waiting for a mental health bed after a defendant is deemed incompetent. The exams are done to see if defendants are mentally competent to stand trial.

Darrington v Mo DMHDownload

The lawsuit claims that those defendants who are found incompetent for trial then wait an average of 14 months in jail before they’re sent to a treatment facility. State law, the petition states, requires them to be transferred immediately.

Local examples show how long it can take to get an exam. A Jefferson City murder suspect charged in 2018 was not deemed incompetent until five years later.

The lawsuit includes another local case as an example of a person who died while waiting for a mental examination. Brooke Bailey died in the Cooper County Jail in 2023 of diabetes complications. Two jail staffers were charged in her death.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Charges have officially been filed against a man who allegedly provided law enforcement with his brother’s name instead of his own in a sexual abuse case that led to a chase with law enforcement.

Claude Irumva, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, aggravated fleeing, first-degree harassment and misdemeanor false impersonation. A warrant was issued and no bond was set. A court date has not been scheduled. A mugshot was not immediately available.

Officers were called to the Break Time at 326 Ellis Blvd. around 2:45 a.m. Friday, where a woman claimed a man repeatedly made unwanted advances that included touching her and offering to pay her for sex, according to a probable cause statement. The man followed her to the drink station and continued to touch her inappropriately, the victim told police.

The suspect’s vehicle was soon found at another gas station. An officer began to question Irumva, who took off down Route C at speeds up to 100 miles per hour in heavy rain, court documents say. The man crashed at the intersection of Route C and Rock Ridge Road and was arrested, police say.

Police later said Irumva gave them a false identity. A new probable cause statement filed on Monday says Irumva’s brother went to the Jefferson City Police Department on Friday to say he was falsely identified.

Irumva’s brother told police that Irumva took his wallet, keys and vehicle and learned Irumva gave police his name. Irumva’s brother allegedly was informed about the incident by his employer, the statement says.

The statement says the two men have similar facial features and their birthdays are the same day and month, though the years are different.

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Ryan Shiner

BOONVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was arrested Monday after he fired a shot near the intersection of 6th and Locust streets in Boonville, according to a social media post from the Boonville Police Department.

Police wrote that they were called at 11:24 a.m. after the man fired a shot after having an argument with a woman outside of her vehicle.

The man then allegedly ran away and eventually detained him in the 700 block of 7th Street, the post says. Police wrote the man was found with a gun.

The man’s name was not immediately released by law enforcement.

Police say this was an isolated incident and there’s no threat to the public.

Check back for updates.

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has started a statewide investigation into numerous kratom manufacturers and distributors operating in Missouri.

In a news release, Hanaway said the investigation follows reports that kratom consumers may be exposed to unapproved and unsafe opioid-like drugs that have been marketed with deceptive methods.

“We are deeply concerned that Missourians are being sold drug-like substances under the guise of harmless supplements, with no FDA approval, no safety testing, and in some cases no meaningful disclosure of what these products actually contain,” Hanaway said in the release. “Companies that mislead consumers or place them at risk will be held accountable.”

Kratom is derived from the leaves of the mitragyna speciosa plant and is often marketed as a “natural supplement.” However, kratom products vary widely in their potency and purity, with many containing levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine far exceeding what occurs naturally in the plant, officials say.

Reported side effects include death (with some cases in Missouri), dependency, seizures, heart complications, liver toxicity and other serious medical harms. 

The Attorney General’s Office has issued six civil investigative demands to companies believed to be manufacturing, distributing or selling kratom products unlawfully.

The demands are being served on MNG 2005 Inc., doing business as CBD Kratom; The Green Dragon LLC, also known as The Green Dragon CBD; Emporium Inc., doing business as Emporium Smoke Shop; and Moonlight Smoke Shop LLC. CBD American Shaman LLC and Shaman Botanicals LLC were also listed for selling high-potency 7-OH kratom products.

Federal authorities seized thousands of bottles, shots, tablets and packets containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, from CBD American Shaman, the Kansas City Star reported.

The civil investigative demands require each company to disclose detailed information about how its products are manufactured, labeled and marketed. They also have to list all ingredients used, any representations regarding safety, health effects, and “safe” dosage levels. Communications with consumers about adverse effects and any materials showing whether the company sold unapproved new drugs in violation of federal or state law will need to be included as well.

The attorney general is also seeking information to determine whether these businesses failed to disclose the presence of psychoactive substances such as 7-hydroxymitragynine.

Missourians who believe they were misled or harmed by kratom products are encouraged to file a complaint. The AG’s office tells ABC 17 News it expects to start receiving responses to the investigative demands around Dec. 19.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The owners of a damaged building in downtown Sedalia have filed a lawsuit to prevent its demolition.

Dana Melton and Travis Dixon, according to court filings dated Sunday, have petitioned for an appeal of the Sedalia Board of Appeals ruling from last month saying 207 and 209 West Main St. would be torn down within 60 days unless the owners filed an appeal.

The city is looking to preserve other buildings that could be damaged in if those two were to collapse. A judge ruled in July that the city had the authority to demolish a building within city limits.

A building official had determined earlier this year that the location needed to be demolished to “protect the public,” court documents in previous reporting say. The official claimed the owners had been notified in November 2024 that the roof of the building needed repairs, but failed to do anything about it, previous reporting shows.

Melton and Dixon claimed in their appeal the city and board “each failed to state sufficient facts justifying demolition.”

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