Swingle tapped to prosecute murder case in Columbia

From staff and wire reports

Cape Girardeau County Prosecutor Morley Swingle has been appointed to handle a Columbia, Mo., murder case that investigators say involves a former police officer's homosexual relationship with the victim.

Swingle's appointment was made to avoid any conflict of interest between the Columbia Police Department and the Boone County prosecutor, Kevin Crane.

The victim, Jesse Valencia, 23, was last seen leaving a party near the University of Missouri-Columbia campus on June 5. His body was found later that day in a yard near his apartment. His throat had been cut.

"I will be reviewing the police reports over the next several days and weeks and will be making a decision at some point as to whether or not any charges should be filed," Swingle told the Associated Press.

'Person of interest'The former officer, Steve Rios, 27, has not been charged with any crime, nor have law enforcement authorities publicly named him as a suspect.

However, Columbia police chief Randy Boehm said Rios is a "person of interest" in the case.

According to the Columbia Daily Tribune, Rios told investigators he had a homosexual relationship with the student. The paper also reported that a witness told police that Valencia said he would expose their relationship to the chief if Rios didn't leave him alone.

Rios resigned last week from the police department, where he had been an officer since November 2001. Rios had arrested the student in April for interfering with him and another officer as they answered a police call about a loud party. Boehm has said that was apparently the first time the men met.

On June 11, Rios threatened to leap from a parking garage in Columbia.