Trial date set for missing woman’s husband

The judge has set the trial date for the Columbia man with a missing wife who’s accused of hitting his one-year-old daughter. Joseph Elledge is now set to face a Boone County jury on February 25th. He’s facing three felonies charges, one for child abuse, and two for endangering the welfare of a child. He’s pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors also say he’s the prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife, Mengqi Ji Elledge. She’s been missing since last October. He has not been officially charged over that though. Searchers have spent several days looking in the Lamine River in Cooper County for Mengqi, with no luck.