Man pleads guilty to murder in the November 2021 Columbia shooting and is sentenced to 20 years in prison

COLUMBIA, Missouri (KMIZ)

A man has pleaded guilty to murder in a November 2021 shooting in the 5900 block of North Kent Drive.

Mark Achterberg, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and illegal weapons possession, Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson said in an email Friday. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

He was previously charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, aggravated assault and first-degree tampering with evidence. In a second case related to the shooting, he was charged with illegal possession of weapons and theft of weapons.

According to previous reports, Achterberg is accused of shooting Justin Stidham. Officers found Stidham with a gunshot wound and he allegedly told law enforcement before his death that “Mark” shot him, according to court documents cited in previous reports.

Neighbors allegedly told officers that Achterberg threatened to shoot Stidham after he allegedly stole his truck, according to previous reports. Investigators later arrested Achterberg in Iowa and he was extradited back to Boone County.

“This case highlights the devastating impact violent crime has on our community. Our thoughts are with the victim's family and loved ones, who have suffered an immeasurable loss. “We must always remember that behind every criminal case is a human story – people who are deeply influenced by the decisions of others,” Johnson wrote in a statement to ABC 17 News.

Court records list his address as Columbia, but prison records indicate he is from Creston, Iowa.