Man Charged in Death of Missouri Baptist Freshman to Appear in Court Thursday

A trial date or preliminary hearing could be given Aug. 30 to Dale Kawamura, a 36-year-old man from Oakland, Calif., who was driving the car in the crash that killed Clayton Pfeiffer in Chesterfield on Feb. 21.

Pfeiffer was an 18-year-old freshman at Missouri Baptist University.

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Kawamura was charged with two felonies:

• Involuntary 1st-degree vehicular manslaughter with intoxication, and death of a nonpassenger, blood alcohol .18% or more

• Assault 2nd-degree, operating a vehicle while intoxicated resulting in injury.

, Chesterfield Police Chief Ray Johnson told Chesterfield Patch that lab tests revealed methamphetamine in Kawamura's bloodstream at the time of the crash—about 10:30 a.m. on a weekday.

On July 26, Kawamura’s lawyer, Daniel A. Juengel, made a motion to suppress all admissions, confessions, and physical evidence in the case.

Juengel, of the firm Frank, Juengel & Radefeld, did not return calls seeking comment as of time of publication.

Kawamura surrendered to authorities on July 11 in California and posted bond July 12. Bail was reduced from $75,000 to $50,000 according to case.net records, and he posted $2,500 cash.

On July 5, before Kawamura was apprehended, his attorney requested and was granted a motion to change judges.

Chesterfield Patch will bring you more updates on this case as more information becomes available.

Jean Whitney and Gregg Palermo contributed to this story.