The veteran Boone County sheriff says there’s been gang activity in the Columbia area for the past 30 years. He says there have been a few homicides in Boone County “that were definitely gang activity.” Sheriff Carey made his comments this morning, when he joined host Fred Parry in-studio for the hour on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable.” The 56-year-old Carey was elected sheriff in 2004 and is finishing his fifth term. He tells listeners he’ll seek a sixth term in November 2024 and possibly one more term after that. In addition to the gang issue, Fred and Sheriff Carey tackled numerous other key topics. Sheriff Carey speaks highly of Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick and the other two commissioners. The sheriff also outlined why he believes Boone County needs to build and staff a $5-million facility to provide 24-7 childcare services to the families of first responders. He also updated listeners on the $14-million state-of-the-art regional police officer training facility that will break ground in March:
UPDATE: Columbia killer sentenced to 30 years in prison for April Brooks’ murder
A Columbia man who killed a woman last November in a domestic violence incident on Blue Ridge road has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
32-year-old Montez Williams displayed no emotion in the courtroom as Boone County Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs sentenced him on Friday afternoon. Williams, who was shackled, sat quietly in the courtroom during the sentencing hearing, whispering a few things to his defense attorney, Kevin O’Brien. He sat in the jury box as he waited for his sentencing hearing, wearing a Boone County jail jumpsuit. Two Boone County Sheriff’s deputies stood nearby.
Williams, a convicted felon, pleaded guilty in November to second degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and to resting arrest in a plea agreement. The first degree murder charge was amended to second degree murder, which gives him an opportunity for parole.
Williams admits killing April Joann Brooks of Cuba, Missouri on Blue Ridge road in November 2022. She was found shot to death in a running vehicle. Williams was already a convicted felon at the time of the murder and legally could not possess a firearm. Brooks was shot to death last at night and her vehicle ran all night with the lights on with the body inside, according to the Columbia Police Department’s heavily-redacted probable cause statement.
There was a high-speed pursuit after Brooks’ murder. Court documents quote Williams as telling CPD detectives that he threw the silver handgun he used to kill Brooks out his car window, as CPD officers were pursuing his vehicle down Clark lane. By pleading guilty to second degree murder, Williams will be eligible for parole after serving 85 percent of his 30 year prison sentence. He’ll go before Missouri’s Probation and Parole Board after he’s served 85 percent.
UPDATE: DLR Group chosen as consultant for Mizzou’s north concourse improvement project at Faurot
Kansas City-based DLR Group has been chosen as the architect/engineering consultant for Mizzou’s Memorial Stadium north concourse improvement project in Columbia.
The UM board of curators met this morning and voted to approve the DLR Group’s selection. The consultant will be tasked with conducting a study to develop an improvement plan for Memorial Stadium that furthers the brand and reputation for Mizzou and Mizzou Athletics.
Mizzou officials envision a project design that maintains Faurot Field views and contains premium seating and a variety of improved and modernized food and beverage concessions. Mizzou officials also envision the preservation of the Rock “M” in the north end zone, a team recruiting room and a new and enhanced north end zone scoreboard.
(LISTEN): Mid-Missouri state lawmaker says rebuilding I-70 between Columbia and Kingdom City to take three years
A state lawmaker from mid-Missouri’s Callaway County says you can expect construction to begin this summer on I-70 between Columbia and Kingdom City in the first phase of the massive I-70 expansion plan between St. Louis and Kansas City.
The state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) briefed State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) and other mid-Missouri state lawmakers in both parties this week. Representative Schulte tells 939 the Eagle that MoDOT will award the contract in February for the Columbia to Kingdom City stretch.
“They’re going to redo the interchanges at both of those intersections and then they’re going to add a third lane in both directions between those two locations and that’s going to be the first phase of this I-70 improvement. So we in central Missouri will get the first taste of it, but we’ll also be finished first,” Schulte says.
Representative Schulte is referring to Columbia’s I-70 and Highway 63 interchange and to Kingdom City’s I-70 and Highway 54 interchange. He says the section between Columbia and Kingdom City will take three years to complete.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson bipartisan legislation in August that provides $2.8 billion to rebuild and expand I-70 to six lanes from St. Louis to Kansas City. The governor signed the bill into law at MACC’s Columbia parking lot, near I-70.
Columbia murder suspect to be sentenced this afternoon; case involved domestic violence
A Columbia man who admits shooting a woman to death last fall on Blue Ridge road in a domestic incident will be sentenced this afternoon at the Boone County Courthouse.
32-year-old Montez Williams pleaded guilty last month to second degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, resisting arrest and another felony for the November 2022 shooting death of April Joann Brooks of Cuba, Missouri … who was shot to death in a running vehicle. There was a high-speed pursuit after the murder.
The Columbia Police Department’s heavily-redacted four-page probable cause statement quotes Williams as telling CPD detectives that he threw the silver handgun he used to kill Brooks out his car window, as CPD officers were pursuing his vehicle down Clark lane. The court documents also indicate a child was inside the vehicle, when Brooks was killed. Boone County Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs has scheduled a 1:30 sentencing hearing for today.
Under state statute, Williams faces a minimum sentence of ten years and could face a life prison sentence. A second degree murder conviction means Williams will be eligible for parole once he serves 85 percent of his murder sentence. It’s unclear of Brooks’ family members will deliver victim impact statements at today’s sentencing.
Columbia had 11 homicides in 2022, and nine of them involved domestic violence. Brooks’ murder was one of them.
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