Columbia claw hammer murder suspect pleads not guilty

37-year-old Adam Conner of Columbia is charged with second degree murder
(October 11, 2022 file mug shot courtesy of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department website)

A Columbia man accused of killing a woman with a claw hammer last fall has pleaded not guilty.

37-year-old Adam Alfred Conner is charged with second degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He waived formal arraignment this week.

Columbia Police say 59-year-old Patricia Kelly was beaten to death with the claw hammer in October at a home on High Quest drive, north of Smiley lane. It took CPD several days to make a positive identification, due to the severity of the victim’s injuries. Kelly’s body was hidden inside the home’s utility closet, according to the Columbia Police Department’s probable cause statement.

Conner’s next court appearance is March 13.