A St. Joseph man charged with possession of child pornography appeared in court Tuesday. Defense attorney Chad Gaddie waived formal reading of the class-c felony complaint filed against Anthony Kromko,  and waived his preliminary hearing.

The case is scheduled for arraignment before Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg June 29 at 8:30 am.

As we reported, St Joe police investigated Kromko’s computer in February 2015 based on a tip from witnesses.

Police said they found more than 1,300 images of “prepubescent juvenile females.” Det. Frank Till said in a court affidavit that 19 of the images were confirmed as known child pornography through a nationwide database.

Kromko is being held in the Buchanan County Jail, unable to post $25,000 cash bail.

The City of St. Joseph has announced a change in its St. Joseph Transit route to take effect later this month.

Starting June 26th, the city said buses will no longer go into the Northgate Shopping Center parking lot (Hobby Lobby). No deviations will be permitted into the parking lot. The city said this is at the direction of the property owner.

For information on Ride St. Joseph Transit CLICK HERE.

Prison officials blame natural causes for the death of a 59-year-old inmate at a St. Joseph prison.

The Missouri Dept. of Corrections announced that Herman Martin was pronounced dead in the transitional care unit at the Western Reception, Diagnostic and Corrections Center at 12:46 pm on Saturday, June 10, 2017.

Officials said Martin was serving a 10-year sentence at the Western Missouri Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron for two counts of stealing in St. Louis. He was first received into the DOC on April 21, 2004.

The DOC announcement says Martin died of apparent natural causes.

A woman was injured Monday in Clinton County after her vehicle hit a farm implement being towed by a flatbed truck.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, around 1:15 p.m. Elizabeth Hoffman, 52 of Gower was driving a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe behind a 1985 Chevrolet flatbed driven by Andrew Grier, 26 of Gower, both headed southbound on US-169. The Patrol said when Grier slowed to turn into a field entrance about three miles south of Gower, Hoffman field to yield her vehicle and hit the implement being towed by the truck.

Hoffman was transported by ambulance to Mosaic Life Care for treatment of what was described as a moderate injury. The crash was reported to have caused damage to the farm implement and totaled the Hyundai. Hoffman was reported to be wearing a seat belt.

An endangered person advisory was issued Monday by the State of Missouri for a missing 19-year-old out of Trenton.

Originally, the Trenton Police Department issued an Endangered Person Advisory for Tanner Ward who was last seen at 1216 East 12th Street, Trenton, Missouri at 5 p.m. on 06/07/2017.

Missing Is:
Tanner Ward a white, male, 19 years of age

The endangered missing person:
Tanner Ward, is a white, male, age 19, height 6’2”, 165 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes, last seen wearing a grey t-shirt, dark blue formfitting jeans and black Vans tennis shoes. He has a tattoo of a sailboat on his right writer’s palm.

Brief circumstances regarding the Endangered Missing Person incident:
Subject departed his mother’s residence on 06/07/2017 on foot in an unknown direction of travel, advising that he would be back shortly but did not return. The subject has ties to the Kansas City area.

Anyone seeing the missing person or anyone having any information related to the endangered missing person should immediately dial 911 to contact the nearest law enforcement agency or call the Trenton Police Department at 660-359-5557

A 46-year-old St. Joseph man pleaded guilty Monday to charges of sexually abusing a girl under the age of 12. Jack Donahoe was sentenced to 20 years in prison for statutory sodomy in the first degree. Under the statute Donahoe must serve at least 85% of that sentence before he becomes eligible for parole. He also faces lifetime supervision from the Dept. of Probation and Parole.

Donahoe admitted sexually abusing the girl several times at his home between January and August of last year.

Circuit Judge Patrick Robb followed the plea agreement announced by lawyers in the case and sentenced Donahoe to 20 years in the Department of Corrections.

A St. Joseph man changed his plea to charges he sexually abused an 11-year-old girl, and now he faces anywhere from ten years to life in prison.

Rex Sapp47, must serve at least 85% of whatever sentence Judge Patrick Robb doles out, and will remain under lifetime supervision by the Dept. of Probation and Parole. On Monday Sapp pleaded guilty to one count of statutory sodomy. He admitted abusing the girl on at least five occasions.

Judge Robb accepted the plea and found Sapp guilty as charged. The judge ordered a Sentence Assessment Report and scheduled the case for sentencing July 26 at 11 am.

A St. Joe man who left a fight at a local bar only to return and fire gunshots into the air appeared in court Monday for Circuit Court arraignment. Justin Helms is charged with a class-e felony of unlawful use of a weapon while intoxicated.

In court documents, police say Helms and two other men got into a disturbance with numerous other unidentified people at the HiHo Bar at 1817 Frederick, during the early morning hours of May 12. The men left and got into a truck. But according to the affidavit, Helms returned with a handgun and fired “about three rounds into the air.”

Investigators say when officers made contact with Helms later on he had a blood alcohol content of .160%. Helms is free on a personal recognizance bond. Judge Patrick Robb arraigned Helms Monday morning. He entered a plea of not-guilty and the case was scheduled for a status review hearing July 18 at 9 am.

A St. Joe man who admitted beating up a pregnant woman was granted probation Monday.

Christopher Rowles was charged in February, and as we reported, pleaded guilty last month. Rowles said the fight started after he was up all night on drugs. He admitted punching and choking her after she found his drug stash.

Circuit Judge Patrick Robb suspended imposition of a four-year prison term, and placed Rowles on probation.

Judge Robb told Rowles it was an opportunity, but it would not be helpful unless he helps himself. The judge ordered a substance abuse evaluation, and ordered the defendant to take part in mental health treatment, the Domestic Violence Program and the Batterers Program.