The Missouri Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a Columbia woman cannot receive stacked insurance payouts after her husband was killed by a motorist in 2019.
Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs spent 90 minutes Thursday listening to lawyers debate whether to admit nine hours of secretly recorded conversations between Joseph Elledge and his wife, Mengqi Ji, into evidence.
In the end, Jacobs said he would consider allowing the recordings into evidence and would make a decision after he had reviewed them.
Elledge’s first-degree murder trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 1 in Boone County Circuit Court. He was indicted by a grand jury in February 2020 in connection with the death of his wife.
Ji was reported missing Oct. 10, 2019, and her body was found March 25 in Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.
MURDER SUSPECT HAS COURT PROCEEDING SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, JULY 12 kmmo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kmmo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
COLUMBIA - Mehrdad Fotoohighiam, who is accused of conspiracy to murder a Boone County Circuit judge and another person, is set to be released from jail Monday under strict conditions ordered by Special Judge Steven Ohmer on Thursday.
Fotoohighiam will be released on his own recognizance rather than having to post bond. He will be placed under house arrest and monitored with a GPS device. Adult Court Services inspected his home before Ohmer issued the order.
Fotoohighiam will be prohibited from leaving his home except to meet every Monday with Adult Court Services or to meet for up to three hours with his new attorney, Greg Smith.