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Family releases details of Missouri prisoner who suffocated to death

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Family releases details of Missouri prisoner who suffocated to death


The family of a prisoner who died in a Missouri prison said that the man was “brutally killed” by members of the correctional facility in a lawsuit.

The family of Othel Moore Jr. have raised a lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Correction and the Jefferson City Correctional Facility after the 38-year-old died in Jefferson City on December 8, 2023.

The family’s lawsuit writes that Moore Jr. was “brutally restrained and mummified” by the defendants, named as being members of the correction center’s emergency response team.

It adds that they “ignored his struggle to breathe, and left him to slowly and painfully suffocate.”

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According to the lawsuit, the prisoner, who was Black, was pepper-sprayed and shocked by a type of glove used in prisons by officers to help with inmate compliance.

Oriel Moore describes her life without her brother, Othel Moore Jr., to reporters on December 19, 2023, at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. The family of Moore Jr. filed a lawsuit against the Missouri…


Summer Ballentine/AP

He was also reportedly restrained, and given a spit hood—which prevents a person from being able to spit—as well as a helmet and leg wraps.

He was then allegedly confined to a restraint cart and isolated in a small, enclosed space known as a dry cell, the lawsuit adds.

It continues that Moore Jr. had said repeatedly that he was unable to breathe, and accuses the defendants of ignoring his pleas.

The lawsuit writes that Moore Jr. was “left to die alone in a cell, deprived of the basic dignity of medical care and human attention. Moore should not have died. He just needed someone to care about him.”

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It also alleges that Moore Jr.’s death was not “an isolated incident, but rather the product of a systematic pattern of coercion, brutality, intimidation, reckless disregard and deliberate indifference fostered the Missouri Department of Corrections’ highest-ranking officials.”

It was reported in the lawsuit that these events were recorded on video and “witnessed by many.” The lawsuit was filed on October 24.

In the video released by the family, guards are seen holding Moore Jr.’s arms as he kneeled on the floor and lay face down.

They then bound his legs, covered his face and strapped him into a cart. Moore Jr. did not appear to struggle with the guards.

Moore’s movements gradually slowed until he became motionless. It was 10 minutes later a nurse went to check on him and found him dead.

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“This graphic video evidence shows the unjustified and brutal murder of Othel Moore, a 38-year-old Black man, by correctional officers at the Jefferson City Correctional Center. This is one of the most egregious prison death cases in America,” attorney Andrew M. Stroth, managing director of Action Injury Law Group, a Chicago -based civil rights law firm, told Newsweek.

In a statement released by the Missouri Department of Corrections, the center said that Moore Jr. died while “in a restraint system designed to prevent injury to himself and others.”

The department has reportedly stopped the use of the restraint system Moore was held in since the incident of his death.

In the update shared in June 2024, the correction center reported that Cole County Prosecuting Attorney had pressed felony charges against five former corrections staff members in connection with Moore’s death.

In total, ten people were reportedly involved in the incident, and those individuals are allegedly no longer employed by the department or its contractors, the report added.

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Per the Missouri Department of Corrections report, Moore was serving a 30-year sentence for convictions of second-degree domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action, and violence to an inmate or employee of the Department of Corrections.

Newsweek has contacted the Missouri Department of Corrections via email for comment.

Update 10/31/24, 2:22 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from attorney Andrew M. Stroth.

Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.

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Patrol reports 11 arrests across north Missouri May 29-June 1, 2026

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Patrol reports 11 arrests across north Missouri May 29-June 1, 2026


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The Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested eleven people in north Missouri between May 29, 2026, and June 1, 2026. The arrests involved a variety of alleged offenses, including driving while intoxicated, felony drug possession, resisting arrest, and outstanding felony warrants. Arrests were reported in Grundy, Clinton, Caldwell, Shelby, Marion, Ralls, Monroe, Clark, and Macon counties.

It is important to note that, while all the individuals listed below have been reported as arrested, they may not have been physically transported to a detention center. Depending on the circumstances, an individual may be issued a summons, which includes a court date. When the Missouri State Highway Patrol issues a summons with a court date, it is considered an arrest, even if the individual is not physically transported to a detention center.

Diego G. Gavilanes-Tigse, 31, of Trenton, was arrested in Grundy County at 6:36 p.m. on May 29, 2026. He was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and failure to signal. Gavilanes-Tigse was held at the Grundy County Law Enforcement Center and was placed on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.

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Heather S. Starchman, 37, of Kansas City, was arrested in Clinton County at 7:52 p.m. on May 29, 2026. Authorities reported she was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, felony possession of a synthetic narcotic, felony tampering with evidence, felony resisting arrest, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia with a prior offense, cutting in on an overtaken vehicle, failure to yield, failure to register a motor vehicle, no insurance, no valid driver’s license, and failure to wear a seat belt. Starchman was taken to Cameron Regional Medical Center and later released.

Alcides Blazimiro Sagastume Gonzalez, 52, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was arrested in Shelby County at 6:50 p.m. on May 29, 2026. He was charged with driving without a valid license and driving while intoxicated. He was held in Shelby County before being released.

Ernesto J. Carames Lopez, 27, of Kansas City, was arrested in Clinton County at 4:03 a.m. on May 30, 2026. Troopers reported he was wanted on a Clarke County, Iowa, felony warrant for larceny and was also charged with careless and imprudent driving resulting in an accident. He was held in Clinton County and was listed as bondable.

Mariah R. Vandervelden, 31, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, was arrested in Marion County at 2:56 p.m. on May 30, 2026. She was charged with driving while intoxicated and was held in the Marion County Jail before being released.

Chad A. Woolfolk, 46, of Hannibal, was arrested in Marion County at 3:50 p.m. on May 30, 2026. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving while revoked, and no insurance. Woolfolk was held in the Marion County Jail and later released.

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Jo A. Kennedy, 62, of Louisiana, Missouri, was arrested in Ralls County at 5:35 p.m. on May 30, 2026. Troopers charged her with driving while intoxicated involving alcohol and failure to drive on the right half of the roadway. Kennedy was held by the Ralls County Sheriff’s Office before being released.

Ethan Z. White, 25, of Huntsville, was arrested in Monroe County at 5:40 p.m. on May 30, 2026. He was charged with felony resisting arrest, two counts of speeding 26 mph or more over the limit, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving on the left side of the roadway when the view was obstructed, driving while intoxicated involving alcohol, and consumption of alcohol while driving. White was taken to the Randolph County Jail and placed on a 24-hour hold.

Brian D. Brooks, 66, of Keokuk, Iowa, was arrested in Clark County at 9:53 p.m. on May 30, 2026. He was charged with felony driving while intoxicated as an aggravated offender, no valid license, and failure to comply with ignition interlock requirements. Brooks was held by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office on a 12-hour hold.

Justus Garway, 30, of Altoona, Iowa, was arrested in Macon County at 11:30 a.m. on May 31, 2026. He was charged with felony driving while intoxicated as an aggravated offender, failure to comply with an ignition interlock system, failure to secure a child younger than 8 years old, and speeding. Garway was held in the Macon County Jail on a 24-hour hold.

Justin L. Bittiker, 44, of Independence, was arrested in Caldwell County at 8:22 a.m. on June 1, 2026. Troopers charged him with felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, and turning from a direct course when unsafe. Bittiker was held at the Caldwell County Detention Center on a 24-hour hold.

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Kansas City, Missouri, police investigating Monday evening homicide near 12th, Askew

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Kansas City, Missouri, police investigating Monday evening homicide near 12th, Askew


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred Monday evening.

The incident happened near 12th Street and Askew Avenue just after 6:40 p.m.

No word on what led to the violence.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.





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Multiple power outages reported across mid-Missouri

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Multiple power outages reported across mid-Missouri


Many mid-Missouri residents are left without power due to storms continuing across the area. 

Over 1,100 Cole County residents are left without power as of 6:00 a.m., according to the Missouri Power Outage website.

444 residents in Osage County, along with 171 residents in Boone County are also left without power, according to the website. 

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Over 14,000 customers in the state of Missouri are without power, according to the website. 

A First Alert weather day has been issued on KOMU 8’s website until 9 a.m.

Flash flooding, heavy rain, damaging wind gusts, and small hail are possible across mid-Missouri, according to KOMU 8’s weather team.



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