COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Columbia Police Department identified the human remains found last week as those of Samuel Michael Clemons, 21, from Jefferson City. He was a student at the University of Missouri.
Emma Adams was arrested January 10 approximately 5:30 p.m. by the Columbia Police Department in connection with a homicide investigation.
She was arrested because police thought she had committed second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence, and leaving a body behind.
The arrest was made after the Missouri University Police Department (MUPD) was called to a welfare check at one of the dorm buildings on the University of Missouri’s campus around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. During the investigation, police found what they thought were suspicious human remains in the 2400 block of Bentley Court.
Due to the condition the body was found in, there was no way to positively identify the victim at the time. The University of Missouri Police Department, the Medical Examiner, and others helped with this investigation
The police are still looking into what happened, and they want anyone with information to call them at 573-874-8477 or CrimeStoppers at 573-875-8477.
The University of Missouri sent this letter to students:
Dear campus community,
Today we are writing to you as we mourn the loss of one of our own. MU student Samuel Clemons was found deceased last week, several miles north of the campus in Columbia while MUPD was conducting a missing person search. The incident is currently under investigation by the Columbia Police Department, which has arrested Emma Adams, charging her with various crimes, including second-degree murder. Adams is not affiliated with the University of Missouri.
The loss of a student is devastating. Samuel was a sophomore, majoring in biological sciences. We have been in contact with Samuel’s family and are supporting them in any way that we can.
While this incident happened off-campus, the safety of our campus community is our highest priority. The MU Police Department works closely with local area law enforcement agencies, including the Columbia Police Department, 24-hours-a-day to keep our campus safe.
If you feel unsafe at any time, please call MUPD at 573-882-7201 or dial 911 in the event of any emergency.
The university also has several resources available for anyone who needs to talk with someone. These resources include the Wellness Resource Center and the Counseling Center within the Division of Student Affairs. Additionally, the Employee Assistance Program is available to faculty and staff.
Samuel will be included at our MU Remembers Ceremony in April. We will keep Samuel’s family and friends in our thoughts.
Sincerely,
Mun Y. Choi, Ph.D.
President, University of Missouri