Columbia man jailed without bond for hammer death could request a bond reduction

A Columbia man accused of beating a woman to death with a claw hammer inside her home recently will appear in court Wednesday afternoon, via video.

37-year-old Adam Conner is charged in Boone County with second degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.

Prosecutors say Conner killed 59-year-old Patricia Kelly on October 8. Kelly was the roommate of Conner’s mother. Court documents allege Conner killed the victim with a claw hammer, before placing the body under a rug inside a utility closet, then putting a wheelchair on top of it. Kelly lived on High Quest drive, which is near Lange middle school.

Conner is now represented by public defender Kaitlyn Bullard, who could request a bond reduction at today’s 1 pm hearing before Boone County Judge Stephanie Morrell.

Graphic court documents obtained by 939 the Eagle say the victim was beaten to death with a claw hammer inside the home, which is near Smiley lane. The injuries were so horrific that it took authorities a few days to make a formal identification.

Conner has numerous prior convictions.