A Kansas City area prosecutor says he will seek the death penalty for the couple charged with the brutal sexual assault and murder of a Kansas City woman. The saga that led to charges being filed against Richard Davis and Dena Riley in the death of Michelle Ricci began with a horrifying video tape of the sexual assault and murder of Marsha Spicer of Independence. In investigating the death of Spicer, detectives began following leads that led to the discovery of Ricci’s body. Her charred remains were found in a wooded area of Clay County. Dental records had to be used to identify her. Authorities believe Davis and Riley sexually abused and killed Ricci several weeks before the Spicer murder. Clay County Prosecutor Daniel White says he will seek the death penalty, because the most vile criminal act should be subject to the ultimate punishment.
Polk County Schools Respond to Perceived Threat
Schools across Polk County in southwest Missouri went into lockdown mode after hearing rumors that four teenagers had made general threats, sparking concerns of copy-cat shootings. The four, all from Webster County, have been found in North Carolina. Webster County authorities had warned police in Bolivar that the four were heading that way and were thought to be in possession of illegal firearms. Authorities say the four included one girl, a 15-year-old, and three boys, ages 15, 16 and 17. North Carolina authorities arrested the four. No firearms have been found. They will be extradited back to Missouri.
Former Defense Secretary Speaks in Springfield
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen tells a Springfield audience he doesn’t like the phrase “war on terror.” Cohen says the use of the word “war” implies you have an enemy you can identify and that there’s an end in sight. He adds that, like it or not, the United States will be living with terrorism for a long time. Cohen expects the U.S. to get hit again and says the country must take reasonable precautions. Cohen says what “reasonable precautions” means is up to Americans and he leaves those attending his lecture at Missouri State University with some questions to ponder, such as “How do we defeat terrorism?” And, “Where do we go from here?” Cohen is sure of one thing. He says the country must end its division and stop the politics. Cohen says there’s a real penalty to be paid if the country remains divided.
Border Showdown… The Volleyball Version
The 17th-ranked Missouri Tigers volleyball team will host Kansas tonight in the volleyball version of the Border Showdown. Mizzou is looking to extend its five-match winning streak and 10-match home winning streak.
The Tigers have dominated the series as of late, winning 10 of the last 12 including four in a row at home. Mizzou holds the Border Showdown lead in volleyball 42-31.
Kansas comes into tonight’s matchup with no momentum having lost three consecutive matches.
