Kansas City man on probation charged in homicide of Columbia man

SPRINGFIELD — A Kansas City man charged in the fatal beating of an acquaintance in Springfield has been out of prison for less than two months.

Authorities said Wednesday Darryl Vest is charged with second-degree murder in Monday night’s death of James Dake of Columbia. Both were on probation and had served in the same substance abuse program at the state prison in Fordland.

A probable cause statement said the two got into an argument and Vest pushed Dake down a short flight of stairs as they started to fight. The man with whom the men were staying said Vest told him he had left Dake in a pool of blood. Police said Dake was dead when officers arrived.

A prison spokesman said Vest was released May 3 after a year at Fordland, and he had stopped reporting to his probation officer.