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UPDATE: Suspected Jefferson City bank robber taken into custody

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The Jefferson City Police Department’s headquarters in downtown Jefferson City (2022 file photo courtesy of Jefferson City Police Chief Eric Wilde)

Jefferson City Police have arrested a 28-year-old local man for the January 19th armed robbery at River Region credit union on West Truman.

Criminal charges are pending against the suspect, who was taken into custody Thursday evening after Jefferson City’s SWAT team served a search warrant in the 3800 block of Candlelight drive. Candlelight drive is just a few blocks away from the credit union, which is also near a Fairfield Inn and Hy-Vee.

The suspect’s name has not been released by JCPD, and we likely won’t know his identity until Cole County prosecutor Locke Thompson files charges in the case.

Jefferson City Police are thanking the FBI for its assistance, along with community members who provided information to authorities. There were no injuries in the robbery.

Jefferson City murder suspect back in court this afternoon

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Friends, family members and strangers have written messages on the windows at J Pfenny’s in downtown Jefferson City, in memory of murder victims Skylar Smock and Corey Thames (December 4, 2022 photo from 939 the Eagle’s Brian Hauswirth)

A man charged with last weekend’s brutal killings of an employee and a customer inside a popular downtown Jefferson City restaurant and bar is set to appear in court Monday afternoon.

35-year-old Damien Davis of Kansas City is charged with two counts of first degree murder and remains jailed without bond. He’ll appear in Cole County Circuit Court at 1:30 today for a bond review hearing, before Judge Christopher Kirby Limbaugh.

Jefferson City Police say Davis killed J. Pfenny’s employee Skylar Smock and customer Corey Thames on Thanksgiving weekend. Both were shot to death at close range.

Cole County prosecutor Locke Thompson tells 939 the Eagle that he won’t make a decision on the death penalty until he can review all of the reports and evidence in the case.

Davis, who has a criminal record, is jailed without bond. Court documents say there were “several dozen patrons” inside J Pfenny’s when last weekend’s incident happened. The Jefferson City Police Department’s probable cause statement says it began as an altercation between Davis and Thames, and that Smock separated the two and tried to escort Thames out of the business.

The restaurant remains closed.

UPDATE: No decision yet on death penalty in Jefferson City murders

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Flowers and other memorials such as St. Jude candles were placed outside J. Pfenny’s in downtown Jefferson City, following Saturday morning’s double homicide (November 27, 2022 photo from 939 the Eagle’s Brian Hauswirth)

A man charged with killing an employee and a customer inside a busy Jefferson City restaurant and bar will be back in court Monday for a bond review hearing.

35-year-old Damien Davis of Kansas City is charged with two counts of first degree murder for Saturday’s shooting deaths of J. Pfenny’s employee Skyler Smock and customer Corey Thames. Cole County prosecutor Locke Thompson tells 939 the Eagle that he will not make a decision on whether to seek the death penalty until he can review all of the reports and evidence in the case.

Davis has pleaded not guilty to the murders.

Graphic court documents quote witnesses inside the restaurant as telling police that Davis had a “smirk” on his face when he walked past the bodies of Smock and Thames.

UPDATE: Friday arraignment set for Jefferson City manslaughter suspect

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23-year-old Joshua Wilbers is charged with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action (December 2022 mug shot courtesy of the Cole County Sheriff’s Department)

A Cole County man charged with involuntary manslaughter for Sunday’s apparent accidental shooting death of his live-in girlfriend will make his first court appearance Friday morning. Cole County prosecutor Locke Thompson tells 939 the Eagle that 23-year-old Joshua Wilbers will be arraigned tomorrow at 10:30 am, via video.

The Cole County Sheriff Department’s probable cause statement quotes Wilbers as saying he accidentally shot Hallie Phillips on Sunday afternoon near Taos. Wilbers is also charged with armed criminal action. The probable cause statement quotes Wilbers as telling deputies that he recently purchased a 22-rifle and planned to go outside to shoot the gun. Wilbers tells deputies that girlfriend Phillips asked him about the firing pin. Wilbers says he removed the magazine from the bolt action gun and cycled the bolt back at least twice to ensure that there was not a shell in the gun’s chamber.

Wilbers says he looked down at the firearm and pulled the trigger and it fired, striking Phillips in the face. She was flown by helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia and died about 90 minutes after the shooting, according to court documents.

The probable cause statement quotes Wilbers as telling Cole County deputies that he picked Phillips up  as soon as she was shot and carried her to a vehicle but then decided to call 911 instead, because he feared he wouldn’t make it to the hospital on time. Court documents say video from a home security system outside the home corroborates Wilbers’ statements. The court documents also note that Wilbers had no obvious wounds or injuries and that deputies did not see other injuries to Phillips, other than the gunshot wound to the head.

UPDATE: Friday arraignment set for Jefferson City manslaughter suspect

By

23-year-old Joshua Wilbers is charged with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action (December 2022 mug shot courtesy of the Cole County Sheriff’s Department)

A Cole County man charged with involuntary manslaughter for Sunday’s apparent accidental shooting death of his live-in girlfriend will make his first court appearance Friday morning. Cole County prosecutor Locke Thompson tells 939 the Eagle that 23-year-old Joshua Wilbers will be arraigned tomorrow at 10:30 am, via video.

The Cole County Sheriff Department’s probable cause statement quotes Wilbers as saying he accidentally shot Hallie Phillips on Sunday afternoon near Taos. Wilbers is also charged with armed criminal action. The probable cause statement quotes Wilbers as telling deputies that he recently purchased a 22-rifle and planned to go outside to shoot the gun. Wilbers tells deputies that girlfriend Phillips asked him about the firing pin. Wilbers says he removed the magazine from the bolt action gun and cycled the bolt back at least twice to ensure that there was not a shell in the gun’s chamber.

Wilbers says he looked down at the firearm and pulled the trigger and it fired, striking Phillips in the face. She was flown by helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia and died about 90 minutes after the shooting, according to court documents.

The probable cause statement quotes Wilbers as telling Cole County deputies that he picked Phillips up  as soon as she was shot and carried her to a vehicle but then decided to call 911 instead, because he feared he wouldn’t make it to the hospital on time. Court documents say video from a home security system outside the home corroborates Wilbers’ statements. The court documents also note that Wilbers had no obvious wounds or injuries and that deputies did not see other injuries to Phillips, other than the gunshot wound to the head.

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