The Cole County grand jury recently handed down indictments in several cases, finding there was enough evidence to send them to the circuit courts for possible trial.
Among those indicted was a Jefferson City man charged in connection with the death of an 18-year-old man in June.
Landon Latall, 21, is charged with second-degree murder for the killing of Orentheus Pitts. Latall is also charged with armed criminal action and delivery of a controlled substance.
Latall allegedly drove to the Walgreens on West Truman Boulevard on June 1 as part of a pre-arranged meeting to sell Pitts marijuana, according to the Jefferson City Police Department.
As Latall pulled into the parking lot, Pitts and three others allegedly discussed robbing Latall of the marijuana. Pitts and another man allegedly exited the vehicle and approached Latall's vehicle, and Pitts was then shot at Latall's driver-side door.
Pitts took the marijuana without paying for it, according to police, who also said Latall shot Pitts at least two times.
Latall turned himself in to police after leaving the scene and told officers he had used the firearm in his vehicle in self-defense, according to police.
Also indicted was a Jefferson City man charged with delivery of a controlled substance in May 2019.
Alshun Spearman, 33, is also charged with one count of misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Officers were in the area of the 1400 block of Elizabeth Street for an unrelated incident when they found a lunch box in a vehicle during a consent search, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement.
Inside the lunch box were five large cellophane bags with approximately 250 grams of a green, leafy substance; 43 small cellophane bags with a green leafy, substance that were individually packaged; four small cellophane bags with unidentified pills; and a black electrical scale with alleged marijuana residue on it.
Witnesses claimed the box and its contents were Spearman's.
Court records show Spearman has an extensive criminal history for drug-related offenses, and he was on Jefferson City Housing Authority property, as well as being 500 feet from a preschool, when he was arrested for these charges.
Also indicted were two Jefferson City men charged after allegedly being found in possession of more than 300 ecstasy pills in their vehicle in January.
Ptah Watson, 47, is charged with second-degree accessory trafficking, driving while revoked and possession of a controlled substance.
Larry Buchanan, 36, is charged with second-degree trafficking.
JCPD probable cause statements state Watson was driving a vehicle, with Buchanan as his passenger, in the 2300 block of Southridge Drive.
Officers tried to pull Watson over after he allegedly failed to signal at Vieth and Southridge drives. Officers reported Watson initially appeared to be trying to get away but did eventually stop. They checked his license and found it had been suspended.
Before he was arrested, officers reportedly saw Watson trying to "stuff things in his seat."
The vehicle was searched, and officers allegedly found 355 pills on the floor of the vehicle as well as hidden in the dash on the driver and passenger sides.