Category: kmiz-local-news

Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Police say advancements in DNA technology are helping in cold case investigations.

Police are investigating 16 cold case homicides dating back to 1985. Three of these cases are over 30 years old. This includes the case of 59-year-old George Showalter, who was found dead inside a Red Roof Inn motel room on April 17, 1994.

Photo of George Showalter, date unknown

“With the increase in DNA technology and genealogy, the spectrum is more wide open now that you have just a little piece of evidence that can take you so much farther now than what it could, especially back in 1994,” Columbia Police Department Lt. Matt Gremore said.

Gremore oversees criminal investigations with the Columbia Police Department including violent assaults, rapes and homicides. Gremore said he couldn’t go into detail on the evidence collected at the Red Roof crime scene, but gave insight into evidence testing on unsolved cold cases.

“We’ve had several cold cases that we’ve looked at to send new evidence off to private labs,” Gremore said. “And this case is one of those cases that we’re looking into to see if we can get something to come from it.”

Gremore said when he started working, police had 35 mm film. But now, everything is centered around video and DNA.

“I think that there must have been training back in the ’80s for detectives to know, this is going to be important years from now,” Gremore said. “The things that they collected back then that they held on to, they had to have had some kind of forethought of how important those items were going to be.”

In March, a North Carolina man was sentenced to life in prision for the rape and assault of a woman in Columbia in 1984. The cold case was reopened by the Columbia Police Department in 2020 and DNA evidence was sent off to a lab in Salt Lake City. The suspect’s DNA profile was then matched to James Wilson.

Gremore worked on the case and said it’s a great example of finding new information by processing evidence decades later.

“It’s actually very impressive to see the work done by the police going back that far to realize that this will become something later,” Gremore said. “It’s just amazing.”

Watch the latest “Mid-Missouri’s Cold Case Files: The Case of George Showalter” at 10 p.m. Thursday on ABC 17 News.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday ended a ruling that stopped the enforcement of state abortion regulations, telling a Jackson County judge to try again.

The ruling says that Judge Jerri Zhang applied the wrong legal standard when she approved a preliminary injunction in December 2024 to block the enforcement of state laws while the case is litigated. Zhang is overseeing a Jackson County case filed by abortion advocates who say state laws violate Amendment 3.

Decision on Amendment 3 injunctionDownload

The court’s order on Tuesday sends the case back to Jackson County for Zhang to reevaluate the injunction.

Voters approved Amendment 3, which enshrines abortion rights in the Missouri Constitution, in November. The lawsuit claims that laws remaining on the books create undue regulatory burdens on abortion providers in violation of Amendment 3.

Lawmakers have approved a ballot question to overturn Amendment 3. It will appear on a ballot in 2026.

The legal fight over abortion led to large protests outside the Missouri Capitol after the legislative session ended early this month.

Planned Parenthood leadership in Missouri said in a statement that the ruling puts the state back under a “de facto abortion ban” that will have “devastating” consequences.

A news release from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office called the decision a “win for the rule of law, women’s health and unborn life.”

Mallory Schwarz, director of Abortion Action Missouri, said the decision creates confusion for women who need abortions.

“I think that was entirely the point that anti-abortion politicians, including Attorney General Andrew Bailey had set out to undermine the will of the people at every opportunity.”

Abortion opponent Samuel Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri, said the decision was a step in the right direction.

“We think this is a good sign that the Missouri Supreme Court is going to scrutinize what these lower court judges are doing, but I think voters will also have an opportunity in November of next year with this new proposal that will be on the ballot to allow for reasonable restrictions on abortion,” Lee said.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Experts urge outdoor enthusiasts to gear up with gloves, hats and bug spray as warmer weather marks the start of tick season in Mid-Missouri.

According to the CDC’s Lyme disease tracker, about 27 cases of Lyme disease per 100,000 people were reported in 2023, a record high. This surge marks a clear increase that began in 2022, with rates far surpassing the previous national peak of around 13 cases per 100,000 people in 2017.

While Missouri hasn’t seen record-high case numbers or tick activity like the Northeast and north central regions, CDC data shows Lyme disease rates in the state have returned to pre-pandemic levels with the most active months being between April and September.

The most common ticks in Missouri include amblyomma americanum, or the lone star tick, signified by a white star-shaped mark on its back, and the dermacentor variabilis, also known as the American dog tick. The lone star tick spreds bacteria that cause ehrlichiosis and Missouri is among the states with the highest prevalence of the disease.

MU Health Care infectious disease expert Dr. William Roland said clinics have been seeing increased cases of Alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that causes meat allergies in people bitten by lone star ticks, which are native to the Midwest.

Roland recommends people take preventative measures by staying out of tall brush. For those looking to hike or garden, it’s best to keep skin covered with long pants and sleeves and to use bug spray with permethrin. While some experts recommend using essential oils like citronella candles or eucalyptus, Roland says it’s not effective.

“They’re helpful for about 20 minutes, but they don’t have a long-lasting effect, unfortunately,” Roland said.

After being outside, Roland recommends checking for ticks everywhere on the body. When checking ticks in hair, people should feel around for any bumps.

If a tick is found, people should refrain from pinching the tick at the body when removing it and instead use a tick remover or tweezers at the base of the head to pull it out.

Signs of Lyme disease include headaches, muscle aches, nausea and rashes. People with similar symptoms should check in with their doctor.

For pets, Dr. Chris Baughman, assistant veterinarian of Noah’s Ark Animal Hospital, recommends doing tick checks after walks or when an animal goes outside with a focus on bumps on an animal’s ears, head, armpits and hips. The CDC also recommends checking the animal’s tail and between its toes.

Livestock should also be checked regularly.

There are preventative sprays, creams, tablets and collars for animals, but Baughman recommends owners check in with their local veterinarian to find what works best for their pet. He adds that owners should read the instructions on repellents before use, since some only work on specific animals.

“If they get on the hair, they can potentially get access to you in the house or other family members or other pets,” Baughman said. “So even if you have an indoor-only cat, but your dog’s going outside, just checking each one of them daily, making sure we didn’t get any hitchhikers coming inside.”

Signs of a tick-borne infection in animals include fatigue, loss of appetite and stiffness or soreness that Baughman called “like sudden arthritis.”

To dispose of a tick, experts recommend putting it in a plastic bag with rubbing alcohol, sealing it in tape or flushing it down the toilet. Baughman adds it’s important to avoid crushing the tick to prevent any disease from spreading.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The trial over the second-degree arson charge of a Columbia restaurant owner is scheduled for February.

Crystal Umfress is charged with felonies in two cases in southeast Missouri. In one case, she’s charged with second-degree arson. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026. The trial is set to start Feb. 2, 2026.

Bond conditions in that case were amended during a Tuesday hearing and the court removed her ankle monitor, court filings show.

In another, she was charged with two counts of filing false documents and three counts of forgery after she was accused of impersonating county officials and restaurant owners.

Both cases were initially in Dunklin County before being moved to Butler County.

Umress was accused in 2023 of hiring Kerry Raymond to set fire to Lupita’s Mexican Restaurant, court documents in previous reporting say. 

Raymond is charged with second-degree arson and his case was moved to Stoddard County. A case review is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 31. Court filings in Raymond’s case from last month indicate that he will testify in Umfress’ case.  

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A spokesman for the Boone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Tuesday night that one person was shot and killed in a neighborhood north of Clark Lane.

Brian Leer, of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, said an 18-year-old man was shot and killed on North Frideriki Drive. Fire Department dispatch logs showed there was a medical response call at 7:45 p.m. The identity of the man was not given at the scene.

The identity of a possible shooter was not immediately described. Leer said law enforcement can’t comment on if anyone is in custody. There was likely no one else shot and law enforcement is seeking out “persons of interest,” but stated some people have already been contacted.

Leer said there were several people in the street before a fight broke out and someone pulled out a gun. At least one shot was fired. Leer said law enforcement does not believe it was a random act of violence that would endanger anyone else in the community.

First responders at the scene performed CPR on the unresponsive victim, but he died at the scene, Leer said.

A large police presence was seen near the intersection of Godas Circle and Valley Creek Lane on Tuesday night.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw members of the Columbia Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol. Law enforcement had the intersection blocked off.

The reporter saw law enforcement with guns drawn and pointed at a home on Valley Creek Lane.

Police tape went up at 8:14 p.m. at the intersection of Clark Lane and Valley Creek Lane.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

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Matthew Sanders

BENTON CO, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were arrested in Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday and charged with murder in connection with the 2021 death of a Columbia man.

Cody Garrett, 28, was reported missing on June 21, 2021. Benton County deputies found Garrett’s vehicle and remains off the trails near a bike park outside Warsaw, Missouri. An autopsy showed he had died by homicide.

Kayley and Michael Birnbaum were arrested Sunday after new evidence was discovered, according to a Benton County Sheriff’s Office social media post. Charges were not available in online court records Tuesday afternoon.

Michael Birnbaum (Greene County Jail)

Kayley Birnbaum (Greene County Jail)

“We received a call from the family making an inquiry as to what the status of the investigation was. The family was disappointed that so much time has passed and that we didn’t have any additional answers for them, so much so that it piqued our interest to pull that case file and put another fresh set of eyes on it,” Capt. Kelly Lowe, of the Benton County Sheriff’s Department, said. “In doing so, we put a set of eyes on it that was unaware of the case, whatsoever. And as he went through the information that we had gathered, he identified a couple of areas that he believed he could establish some additional information on. And in the process of that, and over the period of about a week, we got two people in jail for for the murder of Mr. Garrett.”

According to authorities, the sheriff’s office conducted new interviews, investigated digital evidence and sent previously untested items to crime laboratories. About a month after Garrett’s family contacted the sheriff’s office, arrests were made. The Birnbaums are accused of planning the killing and carrying it out. The two were arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

A probable cause statement says the Birnbaums killed for $50,000 in life insurance money because one of them was the beneficiary. Garrett had been shot in the hand, arm, body, and head and impaled in the abdomen with a novelty sword. Authorities found a bag of novelty weapons, including a sword similar to the one used to impale Garrett, in the Birnbaums’ home. The couple burned some evidence and threw the pistol in the Missouri River before they left the murder scene.

Kayley Birnbaum told investigators that she and Michael Birnbaum researched remote spots where they could kill Garrett unnoticed; did reconnaissance at the site before the killing; researched cleaning supplies; planned to kill Garrett on a day before a rainstorm to destroy evidence; and lured Garrett to the spot.

“About 150 man hours, if not more, of a single deputy working every lead, every possible avenue that this case could take. This took him out of town, of course, because all of the people involved at the time and the names that he needed to get in touch with are no longer in the area of Benton County. So, a lot of traveling back and forth, a lot of attempts to dig up old information and turn it into new and identify where people were and how to get a hold of them,” Lowe said.

Michael Birnbaum called police on Sunday and turned himself in at the Springfield Police Department. He gave officers a handwritten statement saying he had shot and stabbed Garrett, according to the probable cause statement.

“The Springfield Police Department was outstanding in their assistance with us. Once Detective Johnson identified what he needed to accomplish and what his objectives were, he reached out to them and they provided us not only with assistance, but with additional manpower people to take us around where we didn’t know areas, and they were just astronomical in helping us come together,” Lowe said.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office explained that the investigation’s progress was slowed because they only had one homicide detective handling multiple cases.

“Any homicide investigation is tough because you have everything from evidence to facts to theories to it just you’re going every direction. I think a lot of it at the time was that the staffing levels that we had, the call volume that we had, and then we had just moved into the building. So there was a whole lot of things going on,” Lowe added.

The Birnbaums were in the Benton County Jail on Tuesday with no bond. No hearings had been set in their cases. The sheriff’s office says the investigation is ongoing.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An estimated 14,000 Missourians ages 55-64 could lose their federal food benefits if changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program make it through the Senate.

The U.S. House last week approved the “big, beautiful bill” which includes cuts to social program budgets such as Medicaid and SNAP, known commonly as food stamps.

Millions of low-income Americans could lose food assistance under House Republicans’ tax and spending cuts package, according to a recent Congressional Budget Office analysis.

Nationwide, CBO estimates that these measures would strip roughly 3.2 million people of their food stamp benefits in an average month over the next decade.

“Across the state of Missouri, we [The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri] know that about one in every seven adults is considered to be food insecure, and I think that’s pretty fair across the country too,” CEO and President of The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri Lindsay Lopez said.

One of the most controversial provisions of the bill includes expanding the program’s current work requirements to adults ages 55-64.

This would mean that unless an adult meets a 20-hour-per-week work requirement or qualifies for an exemption, such as having a disability, they would only be able to receive food benefits for three months in a three-year period.

Lopez said most people receiving food assistance through the Food Bank have at least one person in their household who is employed.

“But they may just be underemployed, meaning that it’s just very difficult for them to make ends meet with the amount of money that they end up with in their paycheck once or twice a month,” Lopez said.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that about 14,000 Missourians ages 55-64 with no children and no disability are at risk of losing food assistance under the proposed expansion of SNAP’s work requirement, according to an analysis of SNAP quality control data for the 2022 fiscal year.

The bill is expected to undergo multiple changes in the Senate.

Republican Rep. Bob Onder, of Missouri’s 3rd District, said in a statement he was proud to vote “yes” on the bill.

“Our social safety net programs need to be protected so that they will be available for the truly needy and vulnerable,” Onder said in an email. “For that reason, eligibility should be checked regularly to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Likewise, able-bodied, working age adults who are able to work should do so as a condition of participation in these programs. For that reason, I support these requirements in both the food stamp (SNAP) and Medicaid programs, as embodied in the Reconciliation bill (“Big Beautiful Bill”). “

Democratic Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, of Kansas City, issued a statement Thursday following the house approval.

“At a time when income inequality is at historic levels and working class families are pleading for relief, congressional Republicans are making the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in American history, ripping healthcare and food assistance away from vulnerable families, to give another tax break that lines the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk and Donald Trump,” Cleaver said.

The package, which aims to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda, brings historic cuts to some of America’s safety net programs. The proposed legislation would deliver trillions in tax cuts, but at the expense of significant cuts to federal funding for food assistance and Medicaid to balance out the financial impact.

In 2023, SNAP provided aid to roughly 42 million Americans monthly, 12.6% of the U.S. population. The USDA says about 12.2% of Missouri households are food insecure.

As written, the bill would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by roughly $286 billion over the next decade, according to the CBO analysis.

The bill’s cuts could take food assistance away from families with children 7 years old or older.

Overall, 54,000 Missourians ages 18-64 with school-age children and no disability are at risk of losing food assistance under the proposed expansion of SNAP’s work requirement, according to CBPP analysis of SNAP quality control data for the 2022 fiscal year.

The vast majority of people at risk of losing SNAP would lose the assistance that allows them to purchase groceries. Research shows SNAP’s work requirement does not increase employment or earnings.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe unveiled plans for a special session to take up legislation to incentivize sports teams to stay in Missouri and fund capital projects like a University of Missouri nuclear reactor during a Capitol news conference Tuesday.

Kehoe will bring lawmakers together next month to discuss financial incentives for stadium projects for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and funding for capital projects including the NextGen MU Research Reactor.

The Show Me Sports Investment Act is aimed at keeping the two sports teams from moving to Kansas after lawmakers failed to pass a plan during their regular, annual session. The proposal would give the state’s professional sports teams access to state funding for stadium projects through new bonds, but only if certain requirements are met.

The project must cost at least $500 million and involve stadiums with more than 30,000 seats. The state could cover up to 50% of the total cost and eligible teams could also access a tax credit worth up to 10% of their investment.

“The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are Missouri’s teams and they drive billions of dollars in economic activity through tourism, job creation and small business, including hotels, restaurants and retail,” Kehoe said.

Kehoe emphasized the importance of keeping Missouri’s sports teams in the state, citing their role in economic development.

“This just isn’t about football and baseball, as I said before, this is about economic development. These two organizations that have businesses, employees and a ripple effect on our state’s economy that we do not want to move to any other state,” Kehoe said.

Arrowhead Stadium generates $28.8 million in state tax revenue, sustains more than 4,500 jobs and promotes more than $572 million in economic activity in Jackson County alone, Kehoe said. A new stadium for the Royals would support 8,400 jobs and generate $1.2 billion in annual economic output, Kehoe said.

Budget appropriations are also a priority during the special session, including funding for the NextGen MURR project — a proposal that failed to pass during the regular legislative session. The original allocation in House Bill 19 included $50 million for the University of Missouri Research Reactor, but Kehoe is now asking for half of that amount.

“MURR has developed life-saving medicines for patients around the world and Missouri is proud to be home to this incredible nuclear resource,” Kehoe said.

Kehoe touched on how many lives the nuclear reactor saves each day by providing radioisotopes to people around the world. According to MURR’S website, 450,000 patients were treated lat year with radioisotopes produced at MURR.

Other budget appropriations included in House Bill 19 are funding for a mental health facility, a new juvenile center in Cole County and funding for a conference center in Downtown Jefferson City.

Other priorities to be addressed in the special session include assistance for families affected by recent severe storms across the state. Kehoe wants lawmakers to approve a tax deduction for insurance deductibles paid by homeowners repairing damage from this spring’s storms.

The assistance would be capped at $5,000 per household per calendar year.

Kehoe said he will push for changes to the Missouri Housing Trust Fund to make the state’s disaster response stronger. The proposal includes expanding eligibility and eliminating administrative burdens and costs to speed up aid distribution.

It would also lower eligibility standards for emergency housing assistance and grants for construction and home repair.

Over the past three months, severe storms have caused damage across several Missouri counties, including Phelps, where an EF-2 tornado destroyed dozens of homes and businesses in Rolla. Earlier this month, seven people were killed when tornadoes tore through the St. Louis area.

A tornado also destroyed the City of Columbia’s recycling facility.

Kehoe said during the press conference Tuesday that the structural damage in St.Louis is worse than the Joplin tornado.

House lawmakers have been told to be ready for a session that will start at noon June 2.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman charged in connection with a baby’s death is set to be in court Tuesday morning at the Boone County Courthouse for a pre-trial conference.

Sarah D. Brown is charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter for the death of Ayla Gibson. Prosecutors charged Brown after she allegedly put Gibson in a crib with a loose, unfitted blanket and pillow in a position that resulted in death by suffocation, according to court documents.

Gibson’s parents allegedly told Brown the baby had a viral lung infection and told Brown to have the baby sleep on her back, but a probable cause statement says Brown ignored the parents’ instructions.

Brown allegedly admitted to police that she lied about how she found the baby. She told police she found Gibson lying on her back.

Court documents say the daycare was unlicensed. Brown had 12 children in her care at the time of Gibson’s death and was not licensed with the state.

Brown will be in front of Judge Jeff Harris at 10:30 a.m.

Brown’s jury trial is set to begin on June 10.

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Matthew Sanders

What is usually the unofficial start of the summer vacation season felt more like March or April in Mid-Missouri.

Temperatures over Memorial Day weekend didn’t climb past 72 degrees in Columbia on Saturday or Sunday. Monday was cool and cloudy, too.

Hundreds of people didn’t let the weather stop them from attending Columbia’s renewed Gold Star Memorial Day Parade. But for people who spent the weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks, there wasn’t much fun in the sun to be had.

Did the weather ruin your holiday weekend? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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