Missouri Police Identify Woman Who Died After Allegedly Being Thrown Off Bridge

Storyful

Police on October 5 named as Kaylen Ann Schmit, 24, a woman who they said died the day before after being thrown from a bridge on Highway 63 in Columbia, Missouri. A suspect was taken into custody shortly after the woman’s fall, police said.

The Columbia Police Department named the suspect as 31-year-old Jessie Randall Williams, of Columbia. Williams will be charged with first degree murder, police spokesman Christian Tabak said.

Tabak said officers reported to the scene following reports of a man trying to throw a woman off the bridge. On arriving, they discovered the woman. She received medical attention and was taken to hospital but died nine hours later.

Reports of eyewitnesses allowed police to identify and detain Williams, Tabak said. Credit: Columbia Police Department via Storyful

Video Transcript

CHRISTIAN TABAK: Good morning. This is Christian Tabak, public information specialist with the Columbia police department. At approximately 6:45 PM on October 4th, patrol officers with the Columbia police department responded to a call of a man throwing a woman over the Highway 63 bridge at Clark Lane. Officers quickly located a female in a wooded area beneath the highway.

Fire and EMS also responded, and she was transported to the University Hospital. She was provided extensive advanced trauma care, but sadly died hours later. We will release her name once the next of kin have been notified.

Thanks to descriptions provided by witnesses of the male suspect, officers were able to quickly locate and detain Jesse R. Williams, 31, of Columbia. Mr. Williams resisted officers at the scene of his detention, but was taken into custody without injury. And we were requesting the charge of first degree murder.

Mr. Williams was paroled in August for the 2018 stabbing of a homeless man. We are so thankful for the witnesses and officers who came forward and came together to get this man into custody. We are also grateful for the assistance of the Fire and EMS personnel, as well as the staff of the University of Missouri hospital who all gave great care. Our detectives will work with the medical examiner's office and the prosecutor's office to complete the investigation. Please follow Twitter for any updates. Thank you.