Halloween 2016 murder case among grand jury indictments

The Cole County Grand Jury handed indictments in several cases this week, finding there was enough evidence to send the cases on for possible trial in circuit court.

Among those indicted was a Jefferson City man charged in connection with a murder committed in the early morning hours of Halloween 2016.

Traivon D. Jefferson, 22, is charged with second-degree murder, attempted first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.

Last month, an individual came forward to investigators with information regarding Jefferson's alleged involvement in the murder of Terrance A. Davis, according to police reports.

Davis, 29, of Jefferson City, was shot in the 700 block of Michigan Street at about 4:30 a.m. Oct. 31. JCPD officers found him lying in the street with two gunshot wounds after the officers responded to a 911 call of multiple gunshots fired.

Davis was taken to University Hospital in Columbia, where he died from his injuries.

The individual who came forward told investigators Jefferson had spoken with them and others about his involvement in Davis' murder. Additional witnesses corroborated Jefferson had spoken to them about his involvement.

Jefferson was questioned and admitted to being involved in the interaction with Davis.

He told the police it was his partner's intention to rob Davis but denied involvement in the robbery and said his partner was the only person to shoot Davis before both of them fled from the area.

Surveillance video footage of the murder recovered from a business on Missouri Boulevard shows two suspects approached Davis. One suspect fired a gun toward him, and the other bent down beside Davis and appeared to look for items to take.

After both suspects fled, one came back a moment later and shot additional rounds at Davis on the ground before fleeing again.

Also indicted was a Jefferson City man charged with evidence tampering in a September shooting.

Rafael D. Hickmon, 29, of Jefferson City, has been charged with the Class E felony of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution, accused of knowingly concealing shell casings in a shooting investigation.

On the evening of Sept. 16, Capital Region Medical Center notified the Jefferson City Police Department an individual was being treated for a gunshot wound, according to a JCPD probable cause statement.

The individual was uncooperative with law enforcement upon officers' arrival.

As the investigation continued, officers located the scene of the shooting in the 200 block of East Franklin Street and found four spent shell casings.

A JCPD detective contacted a nearby business a few days after the shooting and obtained video of the incident from the establishment's exterior cameras.

The detective stated he observed the shooting in the video and a suspect vehicle then pulled in to the 1000 block of Madison Street. A few minutes later, two individuals - one identified as the defendant - walked up to the scene and appeared to pick up spent shell casings in the street before leaving the area.

The detective located the suspect vehicle a few days after viewing the video and conducted a traffic stop. Hickmon was inside and was taken to the police department for questioning.

Also indicted was a woman charged in connection with stealing nearly $13,000 in items from storage units in October.

Michelle Hart, 26, of Jefferson City, is charged with one count of receiving stolen property.

She was among a group of people who sold wheels, batteries, computer component parts and a radiator for scrap value to New World Recycling, according to JCPD probable cause statements.

An employee at the businesses recognized the items as belonging to him and had been stored at Hidden Storage on Madison Street.

The owner of the storage units was contacted, and he found seven units had been damaged and broken into.

Officers went to an apartment on East Atchison Street, where Hart and the others were staying. A search of the residence turned up dressers, a cash register, Beanie Babies, quilts, numerous tools, swords, knives, ottomans and toys.

Hart told officers she had attempted to sell the tools, believing they had been stolen.

Also indicted was a Cole County man charged in June with assaulting a mentally challenged woman in Jefferson City. Jefferson City police said 26-year-old Salvador Hernandez-Navarro knocked the woman down and inappropriately touched her while trying to steal a bag she was carrying. Hernandez-Navarro is charged with second-degree robbery and assault.

Also indicted was a Jefferson City man charged for allegedly beating and threatening to shoot another man last month.

Jeremy L. Roark, 32, is charged with first-degree assault, a Class B felony. Cole County Sheriff's Department deputies arrested Roark at 4 p.m. Sept. 21.

Roark's relationship with the male victim was not clear from Sheriff's Department probable cause statements.

An officer responded to an assault of a man at his residence near Centertown, according to the probable cause statements. The dispatch log for that day shows this happened at about 11:15 a.m.

Upon arrival, the officer found the man with a bloody left eye swollen shut. The victim also had blood on both hands and arms, and "there was a fair amount of blood on the door to the (residence) and on the ground near the step area," according to the statements.

The officer asked the man who had injured him, and he named Roark.

The victim said he, Roark and another man had driven back to his residence in Roark's pickup truck. When he got out of the truck, the other allegedly demanded the victim pay $120 owed to him.

The victim said he told the man he did not have the money but offered to pay him with two drills. The victim said he tried to run from Roark and the other man, but Stegeman caught up with him and tackled him to the ground.

Roark allegedly held a gun on the victim and kicked him while he was on the ground, but the victim was able to get away.

Roark later was questioned by police and admitted he had been at the scene during the altercation. He also had blood on his boots.