Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said during a news conference Tuesday that he will seek the death penalty against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old from Utah accused of killing Charlie Kirk with a single shot from a high-powered rifle.

Charges include aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and committing a violent offense in front of children.

Gray said during the news conference that authorities believe Robinson hid a rifle in his pants as he made his way to the spot he picked for a sniper’s nest. Gray also shared a text exchange between Robinson and Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner in which Robinson reportedly confessed.

Robinson’s first court appearance took place a few hours later.

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Matthew Sanders

Editor’s note: Language in this article have been clarified.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. James man was charged Tuesday with child endangerment in a 2022 incident in a backyard swimming pool.

The Phelps County prosecutor charged Carl E. Swanson on Tuesday with a single count of child endangerment resulting in serious injuries, a Class B felony. An arrest warrant had not been posted in online court records on Tuesday morning.

The near-drowning of the 2-year-old boy took place Oct. 16, 2022, at 55 Jana Lane in St. James, according to a probable cause statement. Several people inside the home reportedly told investigators that they thought the child was with someone else.

Swanson found the boy in the swimming pool, and he was unresponsive, the statement says. He was flown to a St. Louis hospital and later died of complications on July 10, 2024.

The investigation was reopened on Monday after a woman who was in the house the day of the drowning told police that she and Swanson were in a bedroom having sex when the child died, according to a probable cause statement. Swanson got dressed and played video games afterward, the witness allegedly told investigators.

About 30 minutes passed between when the boy was last seen and when he was found in the swimming pool, the statement claims.

No hearings have been set.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The 3-0 Missouri Tigers are getting ready to host South Carolina on Faurot Field on Saturday.

The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Coach Eli Drinkwitz and key players took questions from reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

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Marie Moyer

EDITOR’S NOTE: The date of an altercation involving a club member has been corrected.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, representing Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine, argued against University of Missouri President Mun Choi’s decision to bar the group from the 2025 homecoming parade in federal court in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s hearing was a part of CAIR’s larger suit against the university for its initial ban of the group during the 2024 homecoming parade, claiming the decision was made because of safety concerns on campus.

The university told ABC 17 News that the group was unable to participate for a second straight year on Friday, again citing safety concerns. The university also updated homecoming participant rules, making this year’s theme “Celebrating Black and Gold.”

According to the policy, the purposes of the parade are to: 

Celebrate MU’s traditions and accomplishments

Cultivate alumni connections

Honor university-selected achievements of MU students, personnel and alumni

Rally support and enthusiasm for the Homecoming football game

The policy also reads: 

“It is not an open forum for expression on topics identified by participants, but rather is limited to expression on topics identified by the University for the purposes noted above. The University provides ample other opportunities for participants to express themselves on topics of interest to them.” 

During the hearing, former MSJP President Isleen Atallah, Mizzou Alumni Association Executive Director Todd McCubbin and Choi testified about the history of homecoming at the University and MSJP’s 2025 application and rejection.

The university claimed the decision to reject MSJP’s participation from the parade was a safety precaution after news of disruptions from other Students for Justice in Palestine groups in other campuses across the nation. The school also mentioned in August that a senior leader from MSJP was showing “concerning actions” on campus around homecoming last year and was trespassed on campus for verbal abuse and stalking following homecoming.

It was revealed in court that the senior leader mentioned was Atallah, who was trespassed from the school after an altercation in March 2025, after Atallah followed another student for several minutes while recording them after the student allegedly insulted and made racist comments at her. Choi voiced concern that with Atallah still having a presence in MSJP, the group could be a safety risk if put in another politically charged scenario.

CAIR argued that the actions of one student should not reflect on the whole organization. During her testimony, Atallah verified that MSJP hosted more than 80 events in 2024 with no violence or complaints from other students that resulted in disciplinary action for the group. CAIR notes that Atallah will be out of state during homecoming due to a prior commitment.

According to court documents, for 2025, MSJP planned to have a similar float that was initially approved by the 2024 Parade Committee and the Mizzou Alumni Association, with a traditional Palestinian dance performance and participants giving Palestinian candy to the crowd. They also planned to have two banners that say “Ceasefire Now” and “Stop the Genocide.”

“MSJP is open to amending its application in response to any reasonable requests from [the Office ofAlumni Engagement],” according to court documents.

The University argued that MSJP’s 2025 float does not follow the updated homecoming policy, adding that several groups that made the cut last year, like the College Republicans and Democrats, and people running for office were unable to participate this year. They add that any floats that have political messaging in signs or banners would be required to take them down or not participate.

CAIR argues that MSJP’s plans follow the 2025 homecoming guidelines, paying homage to the University of Missouri’s diversity and history of students in activism. CAIR also added that people in public office, including Columbia’s Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO), were approved to be in the parade, arguing that their presence can be perceived as political.

CAIR also argued that the university’s new homecoming policy was inconsistent with several for-profit companies being approved as commercial groups in the parade. Under the new policy, all commercial companies must be nonprofit. McCubbin claimed during his testimony that the report was an error and the groups should have been categorized differently.

CAIR’s argument for MSJP’s participation also hinges on how the court defines the parade: Whether it’s government speech, which the school can tightly control, or a limited public forum, where officials can set some rules but can’t discriminate against certain viewpoints.

“I think that everything that the court needs to decide should be before it,” Ahmad Kaki staff attorney at CAIR National said. “We presented evidence from our side, we think that the evidence is pretty clear that SJP is being targeted because they want to advocate on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza.”

CAIR claims the parade is a limited public forum with the university opening the parade space to private businesses and sponsored speakers who may use the time to advertise. The University claims they have government speech, which means they have the right to control what’s presented.

Judge Stephen Bough did not make a decision on the matter Tuesday. However, he requested the university’s attorneys to find a stronger case to support their claim of government speech and to sort out the for-profit and non-profit commercial groups participating.

“If you are not following your policy, that answers it for you,” Bough said.

The hearing is set to pick up again on Wednesday at 8 a.m. Kaki does not expect a decision to be made on whether MSJP will be allowed to join the 2025 parade the same day.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man accused of murdering the mother of his child no longer wishes to represent himself in his criminal trial, he told a judge Tuesday.

Sergio Sayles, 39, is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with evidence and first-degree stalking in the 2023 death of Jasmine King.

Police found King dead from stab wounds to her head, face, neck, torso and back in her home in the 300 block of West Ashley Street in April 2023, according to previous reporting.

Sayles was in a Cole County courtroom Tuesday morning and told Judge Brouck Jacobs that he no longer wishes to represent himself.

Sayles filed a notice of change of counsel earlier this month and wrote that he would defend himself, according to online court records. The motion also stated that he wanted to change the trial back to a jury trial. In April, Sayles’ counsel sought a bench trial in exchange for the state to drop its pursuit of the death penalty.

Now that Sayles has pulled his request to defend himself, he will keep his defense lawyer, and the bench trial will continue as planned.

In Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors filed a motion for a mental examination to ensure that Sayles is fit for trial, but Jacobs denied that motion.

When the prosecution previosuly filed the motion for a mental exam, it did not mention Sayles’ request to defend himself, or that Sayles’ attorneys oppose the mental health exam, according to court documents. Also in Tuesday’s hearing, Sayles’ attorneys renewed a request asking the judge why the case wasn’t dismissed after Sayles’ car was destroyed after his arrest. The judge denied the defense’s renewed motion to have the case thrown out.

Last month, the court determined cellphone location testimony would not be included during the trial.

Sayles is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A pretrial conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Oct. 6.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nearly 100 football fans were assisted by MU Health Care teams at Faurot Field on Saturday for “various heat-related concerns,” an MU Health Care spokesman wrote in an email on Monday.

Spokesman Eric Maze wrote that University Hospital treated 34 patients on Saturday for heat-related illnesses.

High temperatures led to the university moving up Saturday’s kickoff time to noon instead of 3 p.m.

The Tigers bested the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns 52-10.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A years-long court case is over.

Internet provider Brightspeed, which was previously CenturyLink, will pay the City of Columbia $14.3 million in a settlement over unpaid license taxes and fees, according to court documents.

The settlement – which was obtained by ABC 17 News through a records request on Monday – was reached on July 16.  

Columbia and the City of Joplin filed the lawsuit in 2014. The lawsuit was scheduled for a trial last summer, but the judge dismissed the case in July because of the settlement.

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Ryan Shiner

AUDRAIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Officials say one person was injured Monday afternoon after a mail truck was hit by a train in Audrain County.

Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp said the mail truck was hit at a crossing.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report says the 2015 Jeep Wrangler was heading southbound on Audrain County Road 165 when it entered the crossing and was hit by a 1979 GM GP40-3 Canadian Pacific Kansas City Train.

The Jeep then went off the right side of the road and the train came to a controlled stop. The Jeep’s driver, a 64-year-old woman from Centralia, suffered moderate injuries and was brought to University Hospital by ambulance.

The train was heading west at the time of the crash, the report shows. The driver of the Jeep was not utilizing a safety device, according to the report.

The Jeep was totaled while the train had minor damage, the report says.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Advocacy groups are taking two routes to block potential redistricting, which was approved Friday by Missouri’s general assembly and is awaiting Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signature.

The NAACP sued Kehoe, Senate Pro-Tem Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina) and Speaker of the House Jon Patterson (R-Lees Summit) around the start of the special session earlier this month, arguing that the special session and redistricting were unconstitutional and a waste of taxpayers’ money.

The group plans to push on with the lawsuit. Court documents allege Kehoe’s actions to call the special session were unconstitutional since redistricting wasn’t an eligible reason to call an extraordinary session.

“COVID, COVID is extraordinary, right? There’s been a devastating storm that wiped out half the state a la St. Louis or Joplin, Right? That’s extraordinary,” Attorney Nimrod Chapel Jr., representing the NAACP, said. “The idea that there may be a lawsuit one day brought by somebody, and we can’t identify anybody doing any of the above is anything but extraordinary; it’s ordinary.”

The group also claims Kehoe overstepped his bounds as governor by calling the special session to change legislation, which goes against the executive branch’s responsibility to carry out laws and not create them.

“If he signs it, then we have a measure that’s been passed in violation of the Constitution that is critically important, and it doesn’t matter what party you are, if you’re a voting person in this state, it’s important to stop that,” Chapel said.

The attorneys representing the state declined to comment. However, they did argue that Kehoe was within his rights to call a special session and that several arguments from the NAACP were irrelevant since the session ended, adding that the money had already been spent and lawmakers had returned home.

If signed by Kehoe, the new congressional map will be in place for the 2026 election. This will reduce Missouri’s Democrat congressional seats from two to one.

At the end of the special session on Friday, the advocacy group People Not Politicians sent in a referendum petition request to the Attorney General’s office. The group has until Dec. 11 to get signatures equal to 5% of the last governor’s race turnout in at least six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.

Courtesy: People Not Politicians

People Not Politicians began collecting signatures for the referendum petition on Monday and are confident they can make the tight deadline, adding that more than 800 people across the state are helping with petitioning.

“On the abortion campaign, in less than three months, we collected over 380,000 signatures,” Tori Schafer, Director of Policy and Campaigns of the ACLU of Missouri, said. “It’s Democrats, Republicans, independents, regardless of political party, people are excited to collect on this.”

Referendum petitions are similar to initiative petitions and require approval by the attorney general. Signatures are later verified by the Secretary of State, who writes how the petition will appear on the 2026 ballot for voters if enough signatures are collected. Signatures can be collected in advance before the attorney general’s approval.

“Missourians should pick our elected officials. Elected officials shouldn’t pick who they wish to represent in Missouri.” Richard Von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians, said. “The people that are going to put this issue on the ballot are Missourians and then the people that are going to have the final say on this are Missourians.”

Cole County Judge Christopher Limbaugh accepted both the NAACP suit and the state’s motion to dismiss the case on Monday. Future court dates have not been set.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man has been charged with three felonies after he allegedly pulled out a gun and took a Rolex from someone who was selling it in a Casey’s parking lot.

Deon Webb, 21, is charged with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A hearing was held on Monday.

The probable cause statement says the victim and a witness drove to a Casey’s location on Clark Lane in Columbia in order to sell a watch to Webb.

Webb allegedly went into the witness’ car, tried on the watch and walked away while flashing a gun, court documents say a witness said. The victim allegedly told police that Webb pulled out the gun, but did not point it at him, the statement says.

Video from the scene allegedly showed Webb having his hand near his pocket, but court documents did not describe a gun being seen in the video, the statement says.

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