COLUMBIA — A bench trial began Monday for Sergio Sayles, who is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the April 2023 homicide of Jasmine King.

Sayles is charged in the Cole County Circuit Court, and the trial is being held at the Boone County Courthouse.

Opening statements began with the state outlining evidence from the scene where King was found dead in her apartment. King’s foster mother testified that she discovered King in a pool of blood and immediately called 911. She told dispatchers she believed Sayles, the father of King’s child, was responsible.

Prosecutors told the judge that Sayles was seen around King’s apartment in the previous three days leading up to her death. They said he was arrested after being observed at a park, where officers later found a trash bag

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