Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 24-year-old Columbia man arrested this week in Boone County is wanted for meeting a 13-year-old girl at an Illinois hotel for sex.

Clayton Newlon, 24, was charged Wednesday in Boone County with being a fugitive from out of state. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

Deputy Chief Ryan Hurst of the Mattoon, Illinois, Police Department said Newlon was wanted on accusations that he met the girl on Jan. 17 at a Mattoon hotel after talking to her on the social media app Snapchat, and then dropped her off the next day at her home in a neighboring town.

Mattoon is about an hour south of Champaign, Illinois.

The victim and her family reported the encounter to police on Jan. 21.

The affidavit says Newlon was wanted for aggravated criminal sexual conduct, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, grooming and traveling to meet a child.

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Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bill to strengthen protections for children against grooming and trafficking has cleared a Missouri House committee and is now headed to the Senate.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly and Macon).

The bill passed the full House on Monday with a 148–2 vote. Rep. Lewis described the two representatives who voted against it, Michael Davis and Bryant Wolfin, as “misguided.” According to Lewis, both lawmakers said they believe the bill has merit but argued on the House floor that it is unconstitutional and should be divided into separate pieces of legislation.

The bill will the measure would allow survivors of child sex trafficking to file lawsuits up to 20 years after turning 21, rather than the current 10-year window. It would also increase criminal penalties for child trafficking and for purchasing sex from minors.

According to attorney Jill Harper, civil recovery in child sexual abuse cases is often difficult because offenders are frequently incarcerated, deceased, or lack insurance coverage for intentional misconduct, making it hard to collect damages. Successful civil cases typically involve institutions, such as schools, churches, or agencies that failed in their duty to supervise, where negligence claims and insurance coverage may apply.

“We do handle childhood sexual abuse cases, but they are complex, fact-intensive, and often emotionally difficult for survivors. While statute-of-limitations analysis is sometimes a key component of the case, identifying a viable source of recovery is usually the central issue on whether or not it will be successful.” Harper said.

Included in the proposal is a provision known as the “Evie and Sophie’s Law,” which would establish a specific criminal offense for grooming a minor in Missouri.

According to Representative Ed Lewis, Evie and Sophie are sisters from Southwest Missouri who were groomed by their Taekwondo instructor. Law enforcement later discovered more than 17,000 emails sent from the abuser to the sisters.

Under current Missouri law, lawmakers said prosecutors were unable to pursue charges related specifically to grooming. The proposed legislation aims to close that gap. If passed, grooming a minor would be classified as a Class C felony. However, if the offense involves sexual activity, sexual performance, or a commercial sex act, the charge would be elevated to a Class B felony.

Anyone convicted under the law would be required to serve at least five years before becoming eligible for probation, parole, or any conditional release.

Lewis said that he supports positive role models in children’s lives, including coaches, teachers, and family members. However, he said the bill was written carefully to avoid misinterpretation or unintended consequences.

“Someone might construe some of the behaviors in a negative light. So we have to be specific enough,” Lewis said. “You don’t want to write laws and have unintended consequence and so we we’ve been very careful,”

Under the bill, a person 21 years or older could be charged if they knowingly and intentionally engage in ongoing behavior that includes at least one clearly sexual act or communication directed at a minor. The behavior must be such that a reasonable person would believe the intent is to prepare, condition, or manipulate the minor for sexual activity, sexual performance, or a commercial sex act.

Missouri does not have a specific law that makes grooming a minor a standalone crime, but Illinois does. On Wednesday, a Columbia man was charged in Boone County in connection with several alleged sex offenses committed in Illinois, including grooming.

“We want to see if we can prevent some of that. Sextortion and grooming are the pieces that would be even perhaps in front of that,” Lewis said.

According to Safe Home data from 2024, Missouri had 26,294 registered sex offenders, ranking among the states with the most registered offenders per 100,000 residents. The data also shows 91 child sex abuse victims per 100,000 children in the state.

Lewis said he would not be surprised if the number registered sex offenders increased five times more if the bill is approved by the Senate.

National Human Trafficking Hotline data indicate that the number of minors identified as trafficking victims in Missouri has slightly decreased in recent years but remains steady at around 100 cases annually:

2020: 102 cases

2021: 102 cases

2022: 102 cases

2023: 106 cases

2024: 94 cases

Lawmakers said their goal is for the bill to be the first approved by the Senate, which Lewis hopes will happen after spring break.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 75-year-old woman was pronounced dead at University Hospital on Wednesday after a crash on Highway 63 in Randolph County.

The woman, from Jacksonville, was driving a 2002 Buick LeSabre when she traveled into the path of a 2022 GMC Yukon at Highway 63 and Route K in Cairo a little before 7:30 p.m., according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. She was taken by ambulance to University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A 15-year-old girl in the car was flown to University Hospital by helicopter with serious injuries.

The Yukon driver, a 56-year-old woman from Green Castle, Missouri, suffered minor injuries. A passenger, a 59-year-old man also from Green Castle, suffered moderate injuries. Both were taken by ambulance to University Hospital.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission is set to meet Thursday evening to go over plans for potential developments in the city.

The P&Z Commission will meet at City Hall at 5:15 p.m. to go over four different requests for builds.

According to the meeting agenda, Lifehouse Church is looking to convert its building into a childcare facility at its location on the corner of Grant St. and Hough St.

The property owner, Vetter Holdings LLC, filed the second request. It’s looking to build 48 housing units at the intersection os Schotthill Woods Dr. and Eastland Dr.

Another request was filled by property owners that are on behalf of McBride Lans Growth LLC to create a 140-Lot residential development on Rock Ridge Road and Route C.

The final request to be discussed is a request filed by Eagle Enterprises LLC. The company is looking to build a storage unit and a building with a warehouse and shop that would be located at the intersection of Eastland Dr. and E. Elm St.

The meeting will be available to stream on the City of Jefferson’s meeting page on YouTube.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some of Columbia’s top leaders are looking into the possibility of implementing safety ambassadors in the downtown area.

According to records ABC 17 News obtained from the city, the idea was discussed during one of the meetings between city and University of Missouri leaders. The city began having the closed-door meetings after a Stephens College student was shot and killed downtown in September 2025.

Since then, the city has taken steps toward improving safety downtown.

According to downtown Executive Director Nickie Davis, the city began a proposal– called the “Block by Block” proposal in 2023. It is is made up of employees from the downtown district, who typically work cleaning the streets and sidewalks in the downtown area. One of their branches includes safety.

Davis said the district has seen a lot more interest in safety ambassadors since city leaders have increased their push for safety improvements downtown. Davis said the launch of the ambassadors are still in the works and needs to be approved by the Columbia City Council, but she’s hopeful they can be ready to go sometime in April. It does not appear on Monday’s council’s agenda.

Davis said the process can take a long time because it has to go through the university and the city’s legal teams. If approved, six ambassadors would be hired to work Thursday- Saturday from 5 p.m.-3 a.m. and would serve as an extra set eyes for the Columbia Police Department.

“They are unarmed people. We would not have them armed in any way but they would be there to let CPD know, ‘Hey there’s something going on in this corner. We need you guys down here,'” Davis said.

Davis said the ambassadors would have to go through intensive training. She also said they’ll work to ensure all street lights downtown are working properly and that all streets are lit. Davis said the city did a walkthrough with the vice president of “Block by Block” and found that 32 lights were out in the area. Those have all since been fixed, she said.

The ambassadors would also help with permitting for food trucks and carts that are in the downtown area.

“These are what I call nighttime managers of the downtown area. You know, as much as new officers that CPD has gotten which is wonderful, there is still a lot of Columbia that can’t be covered by all of CPD,” Davis said. “These guys will be the touchpoint– the direct go to for CPD should something start going on downtown.”

Davis said they’ll also work as touch points for bars and restaurants downtown, monitoring people who may become too drunk and ensuring they don’t go to another business and potentially start a fight.

“Seeing is believing. When you see people in uniform that are there to keep you safe, make sure that you’re getting into rides safely, then that’s going to be so wonderfully comforting to the people that are out at night,” Davis said.

Davis said the total program would cost roughly $300,000. The cost would be split up between The District, MU and the city. Davis said some of the funding from the CID was budgeted, while others are being taken from reserves.

Davis had previously told ABC 17 News The District was also considering getting businesses “No Trespassing” and “No Concealed Weapons” signs. She said that is currently in the design phase and hopes those will be completed in April and available to buy for any business downtown who may want them.

Records ABC 17 News obtained also show MU and Davis continue to send letters to downtown businesses asking them to sign letters of enforcement. Minutes from an October meeting show MU would work to encourage all 15 large downtown student housing apartment owners to complete the forms by Nov. 15, 2025 if they want to continue to be on the list of preferred housing options for students. December minutes show those letters were sent out.

A city spokesperson told ABC 17 News that the city will be pairing the renewal letters of enforcement with its business license renewal process. The first renewal letters will be sent out in May.

The university did not have additional information on that on Wednesday night.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri students are noticing new, bright-and-yellow signs popping up across campus and on high-traffic streets that are bringing attention to the school’s license-plate reading cameras.

The signs feature an image of a security camera and “High-Resolution License Plate Recognition In Use.”

An ABC 17 News reporter found several signs and what looks to be poles with traffic cameras on South Providence Road, College Avenue and University Avenue.

According to MUPD spokesperson Sarah Yoro-Massad, license plate readers have been in place on campus, with signs being added recently.

“The university maintains a number of cameras throughout the campus to enhance safety and security. The new signs are being installed to make the public aware of their use in locations where doing so can help deter crime,” Yoro-Massad said. “MUPD has access to license plate readers on campus. The cameras allow MUPD to identify motor vehicles that may be involved in criminal activity.”

Yoro-Massad aded the cameras are not Flock cameras, which is the brand used by the City of Columbia. Flock Safety cameras use automatic license plate readers to provide real-time alerts to law enforcement. Flock claims the cameras do not capture identifiable images of people or faces. All data is held for 30 days.

MUPD did not confirm if their cameras wipe data after a specific amount of time or when the cameras record. The department also did not disclose the number of cameras used due to security reasons.

Students shared mixed feelings towards the cameras, with some accepting potential privacy trade-offs for safety.

“I haven’t really noticed it, it’s not like it’s not that big a deal, there’s kind of cameras all over anyways,” MU student Miguel Pacheco said.

“Even if they were on 24/7, I’d personally be OK with that,” student Yule Yun said. “I guess individuals responsibility of driving and information being stored for a certain amount of time is less important than the safety and security of the campus that we have here for Mizzou.”

Other students voiced concern about personal comfort.

 “I do think it’s really odd having cameras watching you and your car where you should just feel free to just do what you can do, what you will,” student Sammy Besore said.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Howard County Sheriff’s Office has canceled an Endangered Silver Advisory after a missing man was found safe.

The initial advisory said Douglas Wayne Witmer, 73, left a job site at 403 Reynolds St. in Fayette around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The updated advisory saying Witmer was found safe was sent at 8:16 p.m. Wednesday.

Witmer is 5-feet, 10-inches tall, weighs 230 pounds, has gray hair, brown eyes and may be wearing a baseball hat, a gray hoodie, khaki work pants and tan boots.

The release says he is diagnosed with dementia.

Anyone who sees Witmer is asked to either call the Howard County Sheriff’s Office at 660-248-3605 or 911.

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Ryan Shiner

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A “trail crossing ahead” sign has been posted near the site of a fatal crash that occurred over the summer.

A 9-year-old boy was killed on July 25, 2025, after he was hit by a pickup truck in the 12000 block of Cole County Road 391, previous reporting shows.

The boy was riding a bicycle with friends and family on the Katy Trail – which intersects with the road — when he was hit by a northbound truck driven by a Holts Summit woman, previous reporting shows.

Residents had told ABC 17 News over the summer that they had wanted better signage and vegetation control near the crash site and that cyclists and other pedestrians regularly use the trail in that area.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was wanted for several sex crimes in Illinois has been arrested and charged in Columbia.

Clayton Newlon, 24, was charged Wednesday in Boone County with being a fugitive from out of state. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A mugshot was not available on Wednesday afternoon and a Missouri court date has not been scheduled.

The affidavit shows a warrant for his arrest was filed in Coles County, Illinois, on Jan. 30. The Coles County Sheriff’s Office told ABC 17 News the case was out of Mattoon, Illinois, which is a town near Interstate 57, about 50 minutes south of Champaign.

The affidavit says Newlon was wanted for aggravated criminal sexual conduct, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, grooming and traveling to meet a child.

Newlon does not have an address listed in Casenet, but has Columbia listed as his residence in online jail records.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former teacher from St. James was disciplined by the State Board of Education after he allegedly set the hands of a student on fire in 2022.

A February agenda item for the State Board of Education says Tyler James Glidden – who was a math teacher at St. James High School – “attempted to demonstrate a science experiment by pouring hand sanitizer onto a student’s hands, and lit it on fire.”

Documents in the settlement with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education say Glidden used hand sanitzer that was in the room during his math class and “borrowed a contraband lighter from a different student to light the hand sanitizer on fire.”

The student allegedly suffered first- and second-degree burns and Glidden did not report the incident to school administration, filings show.

The incident occurred on Dec. 2, 2022, and the student showed Glidden the burns they suffered on Dec. 5, 2022.

Glidden was ordered to surrender his teaching certificate, which appeared to have expired in June 2025. He also held a substitute certification that expired in 2024.

ABC 17 News has reached out to the St. James school district.

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