In the early evening of December 5, 2022, a dispute in a residential neighborhood in north Columbia, Missouri, turned deadly. Aaron Badolato, a 34-year-old male, was visiting his girlfriend in the 2000 block of Newtown Drive when an argument broke out. Corey Blueitt, the 43-year-old ex-boyfriend of another woman at the residence, was reportedly involved in the heated exchange.
Witnesses later told investigators that Blueitt had made threats to return and cause harm.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., the sound of a single gunshot cut through the air. Columbia Police officers were dispatched to the scene following reports of shots fired. Upon their arrival, they discovered Aaron Badolato in the front yard, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Emergency medical aid was rendered at the scene, and he was quickly transported to a local hospital. Despite the efforts to save him, Badolato succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation swiftly pointed to Corey Blueitt as the primary suspect. Witnesses reported seeing him with a handgun at the time of the shooting. A search for Blueitt ensued, and he was located and apprehended by police in the early morning hours of the following day, at around 2:45 a.m., in the 1300 block of English Drive.
Following his arrest, Blueitt was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with Aaron Badolato's death. He was held in the Boone County Jail without bond as the case proceeded through the legal system. In October 2024, the case came to a conclusion in court. After deliberating for over two hours, a jury found Corey Blueitt not guilty of the first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges. However, he was found guilty of a lesser charge of third-degree assault and was sentenced to four years in prison. His sentence was to include credit for the time he had already served.
