Missouri State Highway Patrol

Meth Explosion Sends Suspect Running Naked Through Streets

Police say they've located the nude man seen fleeing an explosion early Wednesday morning in Farmington. The suspect, a 22-year-old male from the nearby eastern Missouri town of Bismarck, checked himself into Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis last week and is undergoing treatment for severe burns ... More >>

Ballwin Man Fires Shots At Random Cars on Highway Because He "Had An Urge," Police Say

Sometimes people just have urges they cannot control. Like shooting people. Random people on the highway. You know that feeling? No? Well, apparently, Ballwin resident Sepid Majid Salem had that classic, irresistible must-shoot-at-strangers-driving-in-their-cars-right-now urge this week -- and act ... More >>

Jailbreak: Inmates Crawl Through Ceiling, Head Out Front Door, Walk Five Miles Shoeless

This really happened. Officials say that on Monday night, three Missouri inmates managed to escape from Butler County Jail through the ceiling and out a main entrance. Then they traveled five miles without real shoes, before they were caught and sent back to jail. "They found a void up in the ... More >>

Jay Nixon's New Airplane (and Its Fake Twitter Handle) Take Flight

This was inevitable. Last week the new $5.6-million airplane allegedly purchased to shuttle Gov. Jay Nixon around Missouri was the talk of Jefferson City. And as any controversy goes these days, "PlaneGate" now has its very own Twitter handle @KingAirJay. The first (and so far the only) tweet went ... More >>

Driver Killed in Crash After Trying to Avoid Dead Deer

On Wednesday morning, Keith A. Labitska was driving north on I-55 in his 2005 Chevy Malibu, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.The 41-year-old from Imperial saw a dead deer in the roadway near the Imperial Main exit just after 8 am.He swerved off to the right, left the road and struck a ... More >>

Can Cops Draw a DUI Suspect's Blood Without Consent? US Supreme Court to Hear MO Suit

Did a Missouri state trooper violate the U.S. constitution in October 2010 when he arrested a drunk driver in Cape Girardeau and drew his blood, even though the driver refused?Looks like the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will now be making the final call on whether such a blood test am ... More >>

[VIDEO] Streetfighterz Ride of the Century 2012 Wreaks Havoc on the Streets of St. Louis

Check out the YouTube clips we've posted below  from the Streetfighterz Ride of the Century 2012. In the first one, watch how the Missouri State Highway Patrol tried to swoop in and contain the swarm of motorpsychopaths motorcyclists who came across a roadblock on 370 at the Earth City Expressw ... More >>

Five People Injured in Racing Accident at State Fair

Five people were injured Sunday night during a car race at the last night of Missouri State Fair, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Columbia, Missouri's KOMU reports that Tyson Russell, 25, lost control during a turn, crashed through a guardrail and a safety fence and into the crowd.In ... More >>

Patrick Mullen Charged in Accident that Killed Ald. Gregory Carter

Patrick Mullen, the driver of the pick-up truck that began the pile-up that lead to the death of Alderman Gregory Carter, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving while intoxicated according to KMOV. According to Missouri Highway Patrol documents, Mullen was taken to St. Joseph Hea ... More >>

Upstream With a Paddle: From cops to cottonmouths, float trips can be perilous if you're not prepared

Montez Thomas and Christopher Gales: Teens Charged in Shooting of Police Officer

​Montez Thomas and Christopher Gales have been charged with assault, robbery, burglary and armed criminal action for shooting a still-unidentified Metropolitan Police Officer Thursday afternoon during a botched burglary at the officer's home.The officer was shot in the abdomen while off-duty at hi ... More >>

Missouri Traffic Fatalities Up in 2011; Seatbelts Ignored By 2/3rds of Victims

​The Missouri Highway Patrol reported this week that traffic deaths statewide are up this year. Between January 1 and March 7, Missouri roadways saw 29 more traffic fatalities than they did during the same time frame last year. If the accidents continue at their current clip (125 through March 7), ... More >>

Missouri Meth Lab Seizures Hit New Record; State Leads Nation Again

Confiscated meth equipment.​Once again, Missouri has the dubious distinction of leading the nation in the number of meth labs seized in 2011. Law enforcement uncovered 2,096 labs in Missouri last year, an increase of six percent over the 1,960 discovered in 2010. Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and O ... More >>

Meth Busts Less Frequent in Southeast Missouri

The meth-law debate continues to boil. In Southeast Missouri, long known as a hotbed of meth labs, crimes related to the illicit stimulant have dropped since many cities began requiring a prescription to purchase pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient in meth, the Southeast Missourian reports toda ... More >>

Don't Worry Folks, Your Truck Nutz Are Safe in Missouri

trucknutz.comFake bull testicles swing into court this month.​If you haven't heard (and how could you not, given the gravitas of the issue!?), a 65-year-old woman in South Carolina is scheduled for trial this month for having the, ahem, balls to flout the state's obscenity laws. Last month, Virgin ... More >>

Readers argue about whether Mark Robbins is a road warrior or a renegade and question whether to stand for Cards' organist Ernie Hays

15,000 Cars Stolen In Missouri in 2010; One-Fourth of Them From St. Louis

The Ford Taurus was the most-stolen vehicle in Missouri last year.​The Missouri Insurance Information Service reports that 15,640 vehicles were stolen in Missouri in 2010. Nearly half (47 percent) of those vehicle thefts occurred inside the borders of St. Louis and Kansas City. The good news? The ... More >>

Missouri Leads Nation in Meth Lab Busts -- Again

Photo: Jennifer SilverbergMeth lab detritus seized last year in Franklin County.​For the tenth year in a row, Missouri led the nation in the number of meth lab seizures last year. In 2010, Missouri law enforcement busted 1,960 meth labs, a 10 percent increase over the 1,774 busts in 2009 and a 53 ... More >>

Schwag frontman Jimmy Tebeau says Camp Zoe is an idyllic campground for weekend hippie jam fests. Federal prosecutors beg to differ.

The top ten St. Louis music news stories in 2010

Missouri Gives Gay Trooper Killed on Duty a Highway, Still Denies Benefits to His Partner

Cpl. Dennis Engelhard​A stretch of Interstate 44 in Franklin County will be dedicated today to Missouri Highway Patrol trooper Dennis Engelhard. That's the same highway on which Engelhard was killed last Christmas Day when an SUV lost control in the ice and snow and struck the trooper as he assist ... More >>

In Asset Forfeiture Cases Like Camp Zoe, Feds Help Local Police Keep Money From Missouri Schools

Image ViaThe motto and emblem of the DEA's asset forfeiture program.​In their complaint filed earlier this month, federal prosecutors estimate that the 350-acre music venue and campground Camp Zoe is worth $600,000. The authorities say the land should be confiscated using a procedure called civil ... More >>

Camp Zoe Update: Highway Patrol Busted Thousands En Route To Festivals

Image viaSince 2007, state troopers have arrested more than 2,000 people at checkpoints near Camp Zoe ​Just after midnight on October 29, 2008, the Missouri State Highway Patrol pulled over a 1989 Ford van on Route 19 in Eminence, Missouri. The driver, a 23-year-old from Desoto named Joseph Wayne ... More >>

In Asset Forfeiture Cases Like the One at Camp Zoe, Feds Help Local Police Keep Money From Missouri Schools

Image ViaThe motto and emblem of the DEA's asset forfeiture program.​In their complaint filed earlier this month, federal prosecutors estimate that the 350-acre music venue and campground Camp Zoe is worth $600,000. The authorities say the land should be confiscated using a procedure called civil ... More >>

Roadblock: Highway Patrol Busted Thousands En Route To Camp Zoe

Image viaSince 2007, state troopers have arrested more than 2,000 people at checkpoints near Camp Zoe ​Just after midnight on October 29, 2008, the Missouri State Highway Patrol pulled over a 1989 Ford van on Route 19 in Eminence, Missouri. The driver, a 23-year-old from Desoto named Joseph Wayne ... More >>

Attorney for Camp Zoe Calls Property Seizure "Fundamentally Unfair"

Image viaAttorney Dan Viets​One day after Daily RFT broke the news that federal law enforcement agencies and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are attempting to seize Camp Zoe, a 350-acre campground in central Missouri that hosts the Schwagstock music festivals, the attorney for the property owner ... More >>

Update: Attorney for Camp Zoe Calls Property Seizure "Fundamentally Unfair"

Image viaAttorney Dan Viets​One day after A to Z broke the news that federal law enforcement agencies and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are attempting to seize Camp Zoe, a 350-acre campground in central Missouri that hosts the Schwagstock music festivals, the attorney for the property own ... More >>

Camp Zoe, Site of Schwagstock, Facing Seizure After Drug Investigation

Image via CampZoe.comA snapshot of the Schwagstock crowd.​The DEA, Missouri State Highway Patrol and U.S. Attorney's Office are trying to seize Camp Zoe, a 350-acre campground in central Missouri that hosts the music gathering Schwagstock -- after a four-year-long investigation allegedly uncovered ... More >>

Camp Zoe, Site of Schwagstock, Facing Seizure After Drug Investigation

Image via CampZoe.comA snapshot of the Schwagstock crowd.​The DEA, Missouri State Highway Patrol and U.S. Attorney's Office are trying to seize Camp Zoe, a 350-acre campground in central Missouri that hosts the music gathering Schwagstock -- after a four-year-long investigation allegedly uncovere ... More >>

Chopper Down in West County; Missouri Highway Patrol Pilot Killed

The crash site (blue marker) is just a mile or two from the airport.​A Missouri Highway Patrol helicopter crashed around 11 a.m. this morning in unincorporated west St. Louis County killing the pilot. He was the only person in the aircraft. No one on the ground was injured.According to reports, th ... More >>

Five More Dogfighters Plead Guilty in Southern Illinois

Illustration by Brian Stauffer​The largest dogfighting bust in U.S. history just got a little bigger, at least in terms of the number of defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with the case -- which was the subject of an RFT feature story earlier this month.The southern Illinois U.S. Att ... More >>

Undercover Video Footage: Biggest Dogfighting Bust in U.S. History

illustration by Brian Stauffer​At 6 a.m. on July 9, 2009, agents from the FBI, the USDA, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service and myriad local police departments raided 29 properties in 8 states, including Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. They sei ... More >>

To pull off the biggest pit bull fighting bust in U.S. history, investigators went deep undercover. So did their dogs.

Humane Society of Missouri Takes 15 Pit Bulls From Accused Dogfighter Near Branson

Humane Society of MissouriA pit bull named Fay, rescued in July 2009, lost its lips to dogfighting injuries.​In July 2009 the Humane Society of Missouri teamed up with the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and several other law enforcement agencies to bust the largest dogfighting ring in U.S. ... More >>

Be Careful How You Drive on I-270 This Summer: The HEAT is On

In an effort to cut down on the number of traffic accidents, nine local law enforcement agencies have formed a high enforcement action team to patrol I-270 more closely this summer. They'll be paying special attention to speeders, tailgaters and non-seatbelt-wearers. Image source​

Missouri Poised to Lead Nation in Meth Lab Busts For Fourth Straight Year

Courtesy of the Missouri State Highway PatrolMissouri busted 1,776 meth labs last year and we're on pace for more than 1,800 in 2010.​Missouri has already done the three-peat -- leading the nation in meth lab seizures for three consecutive years, including a whopping 1,774 busts last year, nearly ... More >>

Are Some Missouri Counties Ignoring Meth Labs?

Provided by the Missouri State Highway PatrolMissouri meth labs in 2009. Click for larger image.​While the focus of this week's RFT feature is meth lab explosions and the impact that injured meth cooks are having on hospitals across the Midwest, the story also touches on the reasons why meth has r ... More >>

The potentially explosive "shake-and-bake" method is burning its way through meth land

Missouri State Troopers Nab 3,700 Pounds of Marijuana

Missouri Highway PatrolA file photo from a 2009 Missouri bust that netted just 1,350 pounds of pot.​Updated: 3:27 p.m.Just spoke to Sgt. Jim Haggett of the Missouri Highway Patrol's Troop E. Haggett informs that while large, Sunday's bust of 3,669 pounds of pot is shy of the record 4,100 pounds of ... More >>

Missouri, Kansas Lawmakers Cracking Down on Fake Marijuana, K2

​It's perfectly legal, and according to its users it gets you stoned to the bejesus, just like regular marijuana. The product, K2, is for sale at a few tobacconists and head shops in the St. Louis area and sells for around $10 a gram. On Tuesday, Kansas lawmakers passed legislation that would make ... More >>

A Trip to the Sprawling Weed Fields of...Nebraska?

Remember ditch weed? That lowly form of cannabis that the Missouri Highway Patrol loves to spend time and money eradicating? Well, here's a little history lesson on the stuff for you, courtesy of local pot activist Mark Pedersen and plant geneticist Dr. Dave West.The pair were traveling through east ... More >>

Where Not to Drink and Drive this 4th of July Weekend

flickr.com/photos/fensterbmeIt's not that we here at Daily RFT endorse drinking-and-driving. We don't. (Truth be known, we're much bigger fans of drunk jazzercising.) But for those who do plan to imbibe this three-day weekend and get behind the wheel, here's a few areas you'll definitely want to avo ... More >>

Tuesday, April 7: Morning's Newz

It's election day in St. Louis and other locales. Election officials in St. Louis are predicting low turnouts, which should help the incumbent mayor -- Francis Slay -- topple Maida Coleman. Meanwhile, in Town & Country alderman John Hoffmann fights the good fight against incumbent mayor Jon Dalt ... More >>

TSA Detains Ron Paul Campaigner at Lambert; Asks Him: "Are You From This Planet?"

Remember that controversial memo Missouri officials circulated to law enforcement this February? You know, the one that lumped followers of Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty (and other political organizations) as possible militia members? campaignforliberty.comSteve BierfeldtWell, that memo is getting ... More >>

State Officials Think Libertarians Want To Kill Police

Missouri's Libertarian Party got all hot and bothered this week upon learning that Missouri law enforcement considers its members to be part of the "modern militia."commons.wikimedia.orgMissouri Libertarians don't want to get mixed up with this crowd.A February memo circulated among law enforcement ... More >>

Reminder: Don't Drive and Drown this Month

Wikimedia CommonsApparently people do very stupid things in March, which is why the month is home to about a dozen different prevention weeks. My favorite thus far is the following pearl I received yesterday from the State Emergency Management Agency. The department has dubbed March 16-20 as "Turn A ... More >>

Out on the Missouri prairies, an odd collection of lawmen hunt modern-day cattle thieves.

Meet the "cow cops."

Gun Club

Overland wasn't the only city helping put guns on the streets

Memory Lane

Defying danger and the forgetfulness of time, grieving families and friends are peppering Missouri's roadsides with shrines to loved ones killed in crashes

Felonies and Misdemeanors