March 2nd, 2026 Local News
Washington Co., Mo. (KFMO) - DNA evidence has resulted in criminal charges against a man accused in a 2023 armed robbery at a Columbia liquor store.
Prosecutors have charged Kameron Mearidy with First Degree Robbery, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon in connection with the May 24, 2023 incident.
According to court documents, the robbery occurred at a liquor store in the 2100 block of Corona Road. An employee reported that a man entered the store and purchased a Gatorade before leaving. A short time later, the same man allegedly returned, pointed a handgun at her, and demanded all the money from the cash register.
After the suspect fled, crime scene investigators located a partially consumed Gatorade bottle outside the store. The bottle was submitted to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab for DNA analysis.
Court records state that the DNA profile developed from the bottle matched Kameron Mearidy.
On January 23, 2026, investigators traveled to the Potosi Correctional Center, where Mearidy was serving a five-year sentence for assault and receiving stolen property. During the interview, authorities say Mearidy denied ever going to the liquor store or purchasing the sports drink.
The case remains pending in Boone County Circuit Court.