Mo. Rev. Stat. § 88.017
The owners of property to be appropriated or damaged shall be made defendants by name, but it shall not be necessary to name any defendants except the owners of a freehold in the property to be appropriated. If the proceedings seek to affect lands of persons under conservatorship, the conservators must be made parties defendant. If the possessor of land to be affected has an estate less than a fee the person having the next vested estate in remainder or reversion must, if known, be made a party defendant. It shall not be necessary to name any person defendant who is neither in actual possession nor record owner of the property to be appropriated, but any person holding an interest in the property or who is damaged by such appropriation may be made a party thereto by appearing therein and shall have just compensation allowed and paid to him in such proceedings.
§ 88.017, RSMo
RSMo 1939 §§ 6386, 6755, 6999, 7230, 7487, A. 1949 H.B. 2036, A.L. 1983 S.B. 44 & 45, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1070