A dual national of the United States and Ireland was sentenced to 324 months, or 27 years, in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography. Eric Eoin Marques, 36, of Dublin, Ireland, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2020, to conspiracy to advertise child pornography. According to court documents, between […]
A jury trial has been reset for a Kirksville woman charged with first and second-degree murder after a child death investigation in May 2020. Twenty-nine-year-old Makuya Stephanie Kambamba appeared in court in Putnam County on September 15th, and her trial is now scheduled to begin in Harrison County on March 1st, 2022. It was previously […]
A Trenton man was placed on probation after receiving a prison sentence when he pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree statutory rape of a girl that authorities said was 15 years old at the time of the offense last year. Michael Wilson, who was 25 years old at the time of his arrest in […]
A man pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography in connection with his sexual abuse of two minor children. According to court documents, Brian Anthony Gilbert, 33, of District Heights, Maryland, uploaded and advertised at least two video files of child pornography depicting an […]
Governor Mike Parson awarded Missouri Public Safety Medals to a total of 15 first responders and 7 civilians for heroic and life-saving actions during 2020. The awards are Missouri’s highest recognition for first responders acting during critical incidents. The civilians, who include a 12-year-old boy who performed a life-saving rescue at age 11, were honored […]
Charges have been filed regarding a homicide investigation involving the death of a Northwest Missouri State University graduate student and her daughter. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office reports 45-year old J. T. McLean, the long-term boyfriend of 43-year-old Allison Abitz, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the murder of Allison and […]
(Missouri Independent) – Colored hard hats distinguish different roles and jobs at Seaboard Foods, a major meatpacking plant in Guymon, Oklahoma. Senior management have green. Supervisors wear dark blue. Foreign workers on visas don yellow-green. But Seaboard is part of a small but growing trend in the meatpacking industry, which already largely relied on an […]
A series of charges and convictions were announced today in connection with an international enterprise based in Florida that operated subscription-based sexually exploitive “child modeling” websites. According to court documents, Kenneth Power (deceased at 58, of Weston), was a principal member of the Newstar Enterprise – an internet-based business aimed at the for-profit sexual exploitation […]
Two Independence men face charges in Daviess County after an alleged burglary the morning of August 14. Thirty-nine-year-old David Alan Grant has been charged with the felonies of possession of a controlled substance, attempted second-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, first-degree property damage, and driving while revoked or suspended. He also faces misdemeanor charges of […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography over the internet. Dana Paul Cline, 54, of Jefferson City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 13-years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Cline to pay a total of $31,000 in restitution to several of his […]
A newly-released map identifies portions of the U.S.-Mexico border wall built by the Trump administration, and for conservation groups and wildlife advocates, it is alarming. The Biden administration halted construction and said it will use federal funds to assess the damage caused by the new, higher walls. Myles Traphagen, borderlands program coordinator for the Wildlands Network who created […]
A Blue Springs man has been charged in Daviess County after reportedly leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit on Thursday, July 1. Forty-seven-year-old Jerret Michael Hilderbrand faces two felony counts of unlawful possession of a firearm as well as one felony count each of resisting arrest, detention, or stop by fleeing, creating a substantial […]
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and seven colleagues sent a letter to Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Md.) calling for an additional hearing on Dilawar Syed, President Biden’s nominee for SBA deputy administrator. The senators’ concerns come from recent inflammatory statements from Emgage Action, a vocally anti-Israel political action committee of which Syed is a member […]
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and the Friends of the Missouri State Archives are happy to announce the recipient of the 2021 Jonas Viles Award-named after the University of Missouri professor who rescued thousands of documents from the capitol lawn after the 1911 fire. The Friends of the Missouri State Archives annually present this award […]
Two Trenton residents arrested by the Highway Patrol in Grundy County on Wednesday night, June 15, face charges. Online court information indicates 22-year-old Brittany Nicole Roberts and 20-year-old Jalen Kirk Harper have each been charged with the felonies of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Harper also faces […]
A jury trial has been re-scheduled in Harrison County for a Kirksville woman charged with first and second-degree murder after a child death investigation in May 2020. Twenty-nine-year-old Makuya Stephanie Kambamba’s case was removed from the trial docket for the week of July 26th, and it is now scheduled to start October 5th. This came […]
The governor will sign prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation into law Monday (today) in Jefferson City, making Missouri the 50th and final state to have the PDMP program. Governor Mike Parson (R) plans to sign bipartisan PDMP legislation from State Sen. Holly Rehder (R-Scott City) and State Rep. Travis Smith (R-Dora) Monday afternoon, on the Missouri Capitol lawn […]
A report of a disturbance at a business in the 200 block of West Business Highway 36 in Chillicothe the evening of June 1st led to an arrest. Assistant Police Chief Rick Sampsel reports an investigation revealed one subject had threatened another with a bladed weapon. Forty-nine-year-old Walter Franklin Spunaugle has been charged with second-degree […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in leading a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in southwestern Missouri. Nathen D. Libertus, 31, of Stella, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 21 years in federal prison without parole. On May 20, 2020, Libertus pleaded guilty to participating […]
(Missouri Independent) – The fate of a wide-ranging crime bill was called into question on Tuesday over a provision that would stiffen penalties for lying under oath to the legislature or obstructing a legislative investigation. During a conference committee on Tuesday morning convened to work out differences on Senate Bill 53, House members said the bill […]
