One Year Later, Hurdland Homicide Investigation Continues

By Echo Menges

 

KNOX COUNTY, Mo. — It has been a full year since the body of James Hall was recovered by area law enforcement agencies, along with the FBI, at a residence in the small town of Hurdland, which has a population of about 155 residents.

On Feb. 25, 2025, multiple law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at the home of Jessica Rudd, 409 W. State St., spending daylight hours combing through the residence and excavating portions of the backyard. That evening, Knox County Sheriff Carl Knoche announced that human remains had been recovered and that the case was being investigated as a homicide.

At the time of the search, Knoche stated there was no threat to the public and that multiple agencies assisted in the investigation and subsequent search. Those agencies included the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Kirksville Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Boone and Lewis county sheriff’s offices, the North Missouri Drug Task Force and the FBI.

Hall, who disappeared in the spring of 2022 at age 32, was identified in May 2025 through forensic testing conducted by the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, Hall could not be visually identified. Authorities first examined a metal hip replacement in an attempt to confirm his identity, but the markings were not legible. A forensic DNA comparison with a family member was later conducted, leading to official confirmation of Hall’s identity on May 19, 2025. His identity was released publicly the following day.

In November 2025, the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office released the long-awaited autopsy report to the Knox County coroner, confirming that Hall’s death was a homicide. However, details contained within the report remain closed to the public due to the ongoing investigation.

So far, little information about the case has been released publicly by investigators. No criminal charges have been filed in Knox County.

Witness Statements Point Investigators Toward Alleged Murder

According to court records obtained by The Edina Sentinel in the weeks following the discovery of Hall’s body that are no longer publicly available, investigators relied in part on statements from witnesses who reported hearing discussions and alleged admissions related to Hall’s death.

In a sworn affidavit, a detective stated that one witness told police Hall had been killed in 2022 and that his body was initially left in a basement before being concealed inside a wall. The affidavit further states the witness reported hearing conversations about moving or hiding the remains after decomposition began.

The same affidavit reflects that another witness told investigators Noah Solbrekken allegedly admitted to killing Hall with a handheld tool and that the body was wrapped in blankets or tarps and kept at the Hurdland residence.

Investigators wrote that those statements, combined with cellphone evidence and the missing person report, contributed to their request for a search warrant.

Hall’s Cellphone Recovered in Boone County

Court records indicate that Hall’s cellphone played a central role in advancing the investigation. Boone County authorities seized the cellphone in 2022 during a separate incident involving Noah Solbrekken at a residence in Boone County. A witness told investigators the phone contained evidence related to a homicide and said it originally belonged to someone named James.

More than two years after the phone was recovered, Boone County investigators obtained a search warrant in September 2024 to examine the device.

Forensic analysis later confirmed the phone belonged to Hall and showed that his activity on the device stopped in the spring of 2022, while another individual appeared to become the primary user afterward.

Investigators also discovered photos and videos on the phone showing the general location of residences at 409 and 410 W. State St. in Hurdland. Court records state that footage from the device matched the interior of the home at 409 W. State St., the residence of Jessica Rudd.

Authorities sought and obtained a search warrant only for Rudd’s residence, where Hall’s body was recovered.

Alleged Theft of Hall’s Disability Payments After His Disappearance

Court documents indicate investigators examined allegations that Hall’s cellphone was used after his disappearance to access and transfer his disability payments. According to the affidavit, a witness reported that Hall’s benefits were allegedly received and transferred through the mobile payment application Cash App to accounts associated with Noah Solbrekken and Jessica Rudd. Investigators also noted that forensic analysis showed Solbrekken appeared to be the primary user of Hall’s phone after the spring of 2022.

The affidavit further states the phone was allegedly wrapped in foil and powered off when not in use to avoid detection.

A House With a History

This is not the first time the residence at 409 W. State St. has been the focus of a major law enforcement operation.

According to previous reports, Jessica Rudd was arrested at the same house in June 2014 during a multi-agency investigation into a regional methamphetamine operation.

Rudd was later indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty to possession and conspiracy to possess pseudoephedrine for the manufacture of methamphetamine.

That earlier case resulted in multiple federal convictions tied to a regional drug conspiracy.

Background on Noah Solbrekken

Public records show Noah Solbrekken has a documented criminal history unrelated to the investigation into James Hall’s death.

According to a 2018 report by The Columbia Tribune, Solbrekken was arrested at age 18 after sending text messages to his foster mother in which he threatened to make her “disappear” and referenced carrying out a “mass killing spree.” He was later charged in Boone County with second-degree harassment.

Missouri court records show Solbrekken pleaded guilty in February 2019 and received a suspended imposition of sentence with two years of supervised probation. That probation was later revoked, and he was sentenced in December 2020 to serve 90 days in jail.

In a separate case, Solbrekken was convicted by a Boone County jury in May 2023 on charges of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action stemming from a November 2022 shooting in Columbia. Court records show he was sentenced in July 2023 to serve five years for assault, 15 years for unlawful use of a weapon and three years for armed criminal action in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

While in custody, Solbrekken was charged following an altercation at the Boone County Jail on July 5, 2023. A probable cause statement filed by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office alleges he struck another inmate multiple times in the head with a closed fist, causing visible swelling and injury.

Court records show he later pleaded guilty in June 2024 to fourth-degree assault and received a 180-day jail sentence.

Authorities have not publicly connected any of those prior cases to the ongoing homicide investigation involving Hall, and Solbrekken has not been criminally charged for any involvement in the alleged murder of Hall.

Mayor Reacts

Hurdland Mayor Courtland Shobe, 63, said he does not recall a murder case of this nature occurring in the town before. He said he would like the community to receive answers about what happened to Hall beyond the rumors circulating throughout the rural community.

“It’s been hush hush. Even the people who are at the house, they are keeping quiet,” Shobe said. “I’d like to know what’s going on. Somebody’s hiding something. I don’t know what. They found a body. They ought to tell what’s going on and who’s in trouble. If nobody’s in trouble — geez.”

Shobe said that while Hurdland has experienced difficult events over the decades, nothing comparable to this case stands out in his memory.

“I’ve lived in Hurdland for over 53 years,” he said. “There’s been things that have happened. We’ve had our share. Nothing like that.”

A Family in Limbo

Hall was originally from Callaway County and had lived in Columbia and Kirksville prior to his disappearance. A loved one told The Edina Sentinel early in the investigation he was last heard from in late April or early May 2022 and had expressed a desire to return home.

The loved one remembers Hall as an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and mushroom hunting and as a devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan. He was described as kindhearted and eager to be accepted by others.

The lengthy process of reporting Hall missing, waiting for official identification and now waiting more than a year for the investigation to be completed has taken a toll on loved ones.

Community in the Dark

The lack of public updates has left many residents throughout Knox County uneasy and frustrated.

A steady stream of social media posts highlighting the lack of information about the case have voiced concerns about a perceived lack of attention from law enforcement and prosecutors.

The Edina Sentinel has maintained ongoing communication with the Knox County sheriff, Knox County prosecutor, Knox County coroner, Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office and a loved one of Hall.

Information in this report was not released earlier due to the potential impact on the ongoing investigation. That process is now nearing completion.

Steps in the investigation have included multiple interviews and the collection of physical evidence. Officials have also awaited reports from the medical examiner’s office, including a definitive cause of death, which has now been obtained.

“As with all cases, the prosecutor’s office is ready to review any report and probable cause statement for the filing of charges upon completion of an investigation, and when all appropriate documents are turned over,” Knox County Prosecutor Andrew Boster said.

Sheriff Knoche said the investigation will soon be submitted to Boster for review and to determine whether formal charges will be filed. No timeline has been announced.

“Over the last year, the investigation has been ongoing. We’ve worked tirelessly following up on leads, and conducting interviews – traveling as far as nine hours away, one-way. The investigative process is lengthy. I understand citizens are concerned and I want to reinforce that there is no threat to the public. Information about this case will be publicly available in due course. We are focused on conducting a thorough investigation, dotting all of the I’s and crossing all of the T’s, and submitting a solid case to the prosecutor,” Knox County Sheriff Carl Knoche said. “And I feel confident in the investigation up to this point. We will review the totality of the case and submit it as soon as possible.”

Hall’s loved ones and the community living in and around Hurdland continue to wait for answers.