A Columbia man charged with killing his wife in 2006 will appear in-person at the Boone County Courthouse this afternoon for his pre-trial hearing, ahead of next week’s scheduled trial.
41-year-old Keith Comfort is charged with second degree murder for the death of his wife Megan. Her remains were found in the Columbia landfill in 2019.
Defense attorney Kevin O’Brien is expected to argue self-defense at next week’s trial. The Columbia Police Department’s probable cause statement quotes Comfort as telling police that his wife was frantic and swinging her arms at him, after she allegedly “ripped someone off” during a drug transaction. Comfort is quoted as telling CPD detectives that he strangled his wife before placing her body in a black garbage bag and throwing the body into his Amelia street apartment dumpster near the Columbia Country Club.
Jury selection in Comfort’s trial is scheduled to begin Monday morning. Boone County Circuit Judge Jeff Harris will be calling 85 prospective jurors to the courthouse on Monday morning. Veteran Boone County prosecutor Susan Boresi is handling the prosecution, while Counselor O’Brien is the defense attorney.
Today is the first time that we see Comfort in-person at the Boone County Courthouse. Boone County Judge Harris has directed the sheriff’s department to transport the 41-year-old Comfort to the courthouse for his 1:30 pre-trial conference, ahead of next week’s trial. Previous court hearings have been via video from the Boone County jail.