What is necessary for a charge of "conspiracy" in Missouri?

In Missouri, for a charge of conspiracy, it is essential to establish that there was an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime, along with an overt act taken in furtherance of that agreement. This means that mere planning or discussing the crime is not sufficient; there must be a clear step towards executing the criminal intent. An overt act can encompass a wide range of actions that show that the parties involved are taking concrete steps towards carrying out the planned crime.

The requirement for both an agreement and an overt act ensures that the prosecution demonstrates more than just the idea of committing a crime; they need to prove that the participants have moved beyond mere thought or planning into actionable behavior that indicates their intention to commit the crime. This dual requirement is intended to safeguard against wrongful convictions based solely on intentions or communications that do not lead to actual criminal activity.