Woman accused of killing MU student, burning body still has not been evaluated by Department of Mental Health

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman accused of stabbing a University of Missouri student to death and burning the body in 2023 is still awaiting an evaluation from the Department of Mental Health.

A hearing for Emma Adams, 22, was held on Tuesday. She is charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence and abandoning a corpse. A status hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Adams was committed to the DMH in November, but has been waiting for a mental health evaluation . She is still listed in on the Boone County Jail roster and has been held on a $1 million bond since her arrest.

Adams’ attorney Jeffery Hillbrenner, stated in court on Tuesday that Adams has been on suicide watch several times and has allegedly been suffering from hallucinations and delusions. Hillbrenner stated that he has been receiving information about Adams from the jail. Adams' current placement on the list of those awaiting mental-health evaluations was not stated on Tuesday.

Adams was arrested and charged in January 2023 after an investigation that started at the University of Missouri led to police finding a burned body in a residential area far from campus.

Police initially couldn't identify the body because of its condition. Samuel Clemons was eventually identified. He was 21.

Previous reporting indicates the investigation started when University of Missouri police officers were sent to Hudson Hall at about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11, 2023, for a welfare check, which led them to the 2400 block of Bentley Court in north Columbia.

Officers found Clemons’ body there and called Columbia police for a homicide investigation. Adams allegedly told police she stabbed Clemons in self-defense.

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