Jefferson City man placed on probation for stabbing case

A Jefferson City man was placed on three years of supervised probation for pleading guilty to a charge in connection with an argument in a bar following the presidential election in November 2016. The argument escalated into a fight that left another Jefferson City man with four stab wounds.

Marquis Jones, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault. As part of his probation, he must serve a two-day shock detention sentence in the Cole County Jail.

Officers responded to the 200 block of Commercial Way around 12:55 a.m. the day of the fight, according to the Jefferson City Police Department.

Jones said he was being verbally insulted by the victim while the two were inside a bar.

He said he was followed outside the bar by the victim, who continued insulting him.

As he continued to walk away, Jones said, he turned around and pulled a knife from his back right pocket, hiding it behind his back. Jones said he walked back to confront the victim, concealing the knife in his right hand, and when the victim attempted to throw a punch, Jones stabbed the victim several times.

Surveillance video from the area showed Jones walked several feet from the confrontation then abruptly turned around, walking back to the victim. The video also shows Jones with his hand in his back right pocket holding onto an object he said was a folding knife.

When interviewed by authorities, the victim said he met Jones at the bar and had never met him before. He said he and Jones got into a verbal argument over the recent presidential election and, when they walked outside, Jones retrieved a knife and threatened him with it. He said he swung at Jones, and Jones stabbed him several times.

The victim had four stab wounds to the back, four to the left chest/side area and one to the center of his chest.