Maupin trial would be held in Atchison County

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MARYVILLE, Mo. — A potential trial for a Skidmore man charged with a double murder would be held in Atchison County instead of Nodaway, a judge ordered last week.

Corey Herron, presiding judge of the Fourth Circuit Court, on Sept. 14 granted a request for a change of venue in three cases against Keevin J. Maupin. Maupin, 21, was charged in April with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action for the killings of Liberty A. Moore, 32, of Maryville, and Karen M. Babcock, 58, of Skidmore. Authorities say Maupin shot both women at a residence near Missouri Highway 46 and State Route PP north of Skidmore.

After he was jailed, Maupin was charged with two counts of second-degree assault of a special victim for two separate incidents with guards at the Nodaway County Jail. On May 1, Maupin allegedly attacked and injured a jail guard while attempting to make an escape. Three days later, Maupin threw a cup filled with urine onto a jail guard, the guard said in a probable cause statement.

Megan Oliver, Maupin’s attorney, asked the court for a change of venue for a potential trial because of the public attention the case is receiving and her client’s longstanding ties to the county.

Herron’s order moves all three cases to Atchison County if they reach the trial stage. But until then, Maupin will continue to be held in Nodaway County and pretrial hearings will continue to be held in Nodaway County.

Maupin’s next court date is a case review and plea/trial setting on Oct. 19 in Nodaway County court.