93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
A bloody sweatshirt could be a key piece of evidence in April’s murder trial involving Columbia’s Jeffrey McWilliams, who was featured on the “Food Network” in 2019.
McWilliams is charged with second degree murder and robbery for the 2017 drug-related killing of Augustus Roberts in Old Hawthorne.
Key details about the incident emerged during a Friday afternoon court hearing. Boone County assistant prosecutor Nick Komoroski read from a search warrant in court, which said the victim was known to possess large amounts of marijuana and money. Komoroski continued to read the court document, which says a triple-X size sweatshirt with Roberts’ blood was located in a Uhaul in Columbia’s Old Hawthorne subdivision after the murder. The prosecutor notes McWilliams is 6’3” and weighs 350 pounds.
Defense attorney Stephen Wyse argues it was not a search warrant, but rather an administrative order.
Boone County Judge Joshua Devine ruled in favor of the prosecution, which means McWilliams will have to provide a DNA swab. But Judge Devine also rejected the prosecution’s request for a continuance, which means the trial won’t be delayed.
A four-day trial is scheduled for April 19 in Columbia.
