Missouri

Missouri's death row had nearly 100 inmates in the 1990s. Now, it has eight

Published

2 years ago

December 16, 2024

Missouri's death row had nearly 100 inmates in the 1990s. Now, it has eight

ST. LOUIS — Missouri ‘s status as one of the most active death penalty states is about to change for one simple reason: The state is running out of inmates to execute.

The lethal injection of Christopher Collings on Dec. 3 left just eight men on death row — a figurative term since condemned Missouri inmates are housed with other prisoners. By contrast, nearly 100 people were living with a death sentence three decades ago.

Three of the eight Missouri inmates will almost certainly live out their lives in prison after being declared mentally incompetent for execution. Court appeals continue for the other five, and no new executions are scheduled.

Missouri isn’t alone. Across the nation, the number of people awaiting the ultimate punishment has declined sharply since the turn of the century.

“We are in a very, very different place than we were 25 years ago ,and that’s for very good reasons,” said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit that doesn’t take a position on the death penalty but is critical of problems in its application.

The Legal Defense Fund’s Death Row USA report showed 2,180 people with pending death sentences this year, down from 3,682 in 2000. Missouri’s peak year was 1997, when 96 people were on death row.

After reaching a height of 98 U.S. executions in 1999, the annual number hasn’t topped 30 since 2014. So far this year, 23 executions have been carried out — six in Alabama, five in Texas, four in Missouri, three in Oklahoma, two in South Carolina and one each in Georgia, Utah and Florida. Two more are scheduled: Wednesday in Indiana and Thursday in Oklahoma.

Use of the death penalty has declined in part because many states have turned away from it. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have abolished the punishment, and five others have moratoriums.

Even in active death penalty states, prosecutors in murder cases are far more inclined to seek life in prison without parole.

In the 1990s, the nation was typically seeing over 300 new death sentences each year. By contrast, 21 people were sentenced to death nationwide in 2023.

A major factor is the cost. At trial, additional experts are often brought in, cases tend to run longer, and a separate hearing is required in the penalty phase, Maher said.

Costs don’t end with the prosecution. Court appeals often drag on for decades, running up huge legal bills incurred by public entities — prosecutors, attorneys general, public defenders. Sixteen of this year’s 23 executions involved inmates incarcerated 20 years or more.

“Millions and millions of dollars are being used — those are taxpayer dollars — for a system that by and large the American public has concluded is not keeping them safer,” Maher said.

Court rulings have resulted in fewer death sentences, too, including Supreme Court decisions barring execution of the mentally disabled and those who were minors at the time of their crimes, Maher said.

Views of capital punishment also have changed. A Gallup poll last year found 50% of Americans believed capital punishment was applied unfairly, compared to 47% who believed it was fairly implemented. This was the highest such number since Gallup first began asking about the fairness of the death penalty’s application in 2000.

Still, there are indications of new support for the death penalty in some places.

Two executions in South Carolina were the first in that state since 2011. Utah carried out its first execution in 14 years. Idaho tried to execute Thomas Eugene Creech in February — the state’s first since 2012 — but corrections department workers couldn’t find a viable vein to deliver the lethal drug. The execution in Indiana this week would be the first in 15 years.

Meanwhile, incoming President Donald Trump, who restarted federal executions, with 13 carried out in his first term, has suggested he’ll use the death penalty again.

“If President Trump and other elected officials are paying attention to what public support is telling them, they will be more reluctant to use the death penalty going forward,” Maher said.

Some of the most aggressive prosecutors pursuing the death penalty are in California, even though Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on its use.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson’s office has successfully prosecuted four death penalty cases since he took office six years ago, including one last week: Jerome Rogers was sentenced to death for robbing and killing two elderly women.

Anderson said some crimes are so heinous that the death penalty “is appropriate to pursue.”

“When you sit in a courtroom and you see the anguish of the victim’s surviving family members, they certainly aren’t concerned about their tax dollars going to pursue what we think is a different level of evil in a death penalty case,” Anderson said.

He noted that the four death penalty cases he prosecuted involved the killings of a combined 12 victims.

“How do you put a price tag on 12 dead people?” Anderson asked.

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Missouri

Missouri Highway Patrol investigating KCPD officer involved shooting

Published

9 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Missouri Highway Patrol investigating KCPD officer involved shooting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating a shooting involving a Kansas City Police officer.

MSHP said the shooting occurred near 27th St. and Jackson Avenue.

Authorities said an officer on a motorcycle was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Spruce and 27th.

It’s unclear why, but police said the suspect had a rifle and started shooting at the officer. The officer returned shots and the suspect ran into the woods, where officers arrested him.

MSHP said the weapon had yet to be located, as of 4:20 p.m.

Authorities said neither the officer nor the suspect were injured and the suspect was taken into custody.

This is a breaking news story. KCTV5 will update as more information becomes available.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for June 24, 2026

Published

19 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 24, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 24 drawing

13-14-16-21-38, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 24 drawing

Midday: 3-0-3

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 8-4-8

Evening Wild: 0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 24 drawing

Midday: 7-5-8-5

Midday Wild: 9

Evening: 7-4-7-6

Evening Wild: 9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 24 drawing

Early Bird: 06

Morning: 13

Matinee: 03

Prime Time: 14

Night Owl: 02

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from June 24 drawing

16-17-19-26-35

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 24 drawing

03-11-20-31-65, Powerball: 05

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

Four years after Dobbs, Missouri abortion fight continues in court, ballotbox

Published

1 day ago

June 24, 2026

Press Room

Four years after Dobbs, Missouri abortion fight continues in court, ballotbox

JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS) – Four years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Missouri became the first state to ban abortion, Planned Parenthood is once again offering abortions.

Medication abortions are returning, too, after a Jackson County Circuit Court ruling. However, the state’s legal battle continues with court cases and a new ballot measure.

The past four years

Four years ago, Missouri politicians used a 2019 trigger law to ban abortion within 20 minutes of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the limited federal abortion protections of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Abortion was put on the ballot in 2024 by an initiative petition that collected more than 380,000 signatures. Missouri became the first state to end an abortion ban by a vote of the people in 2024 and established the Right to Reproductive Freedom in the state constitution.

Another vote this year

This year will mark the second time Missourians vote on abortion. In November, Missourians will once again vote on abortion on the new Amendment Three. A “yes” vote is to ban abortions.

The new ballot measure has limited exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies, only if performed before the 12-week gestational period. It’s set to be on the statewide ballot for the November 2026 midterm election.

Bonnie Lee with 40 Days for Life said she hopes Missourians vote in favor of new restrictions in November.

“Missouri is waking up, and we will make a difference in November,” Lee said.

Missourians will see this question on their ballot:

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

Repeal the 2024 voter-approved Amendment providing reproductive healthcare rights, including abortion through fetal viability;

Allow abortions for rape and incest (under twelve-weeks’ gestation), emergencies, and fetal anomalies;

Allow legislation regulating abortion;

Ensure parental consent for minors’ abortions;

Prohibit gender transition procedures for minors?”

A “yes” vote would essentially repeal the Amendment Three passed in November 2024. But this language may not be final. If lawyers appeal again, it can go to the Missouri Supreme Court.”

“I think voters are now seeing they didn’t know what they were voting on [in 2024]. There was a lot of misinformation, a lot of hidden information, a lot of legalese,” Lee said.

Maggie Olivia with Abortion Action Missouri said she wants the opposite outcome at the ballot box.

“I feel all the more invigorated having seen the consequences of abortion bans to do whatever it takes to stop this new abortion ban,” Olivia said.

Olivia called the new Amendment Three an overreach by Missouri politicians.

“There are some politicians in Jefferson City who don’t like the decision we just made in 2024, so they think they can muddy the waters, change the rules,” Olivia said.

Ongoing lawsuit

This month, a Jackson County Circuit Court judge issued a permanent injunction striking down several state abortion restrictions.

Planned Parenthood said the decision also clears the way for medication abortion to be available in Missouri for the first time since 2018 and allows Planned Parenthood to resume providing it.

“For too long, politicians forced patients to leave the state for an evidence-based and trusted form of abortion care. Now that care is coming home,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

Attorney General Catherine Hanaway criticized the ruling and said she plans to appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.

“This radical decision gives abortion providers a free pass to police themselves,” Hanaway said in a statement. “My office will expeditiously appeal this dangerous decision to the Missouri Supreme Court.”

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