Springfield man sentenced to 12 years in beating death of senior citizen
A Springfield man was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Tuesday for the 2021 beating death of 74-year-old Larry Woods.
Court records indicate Jacob DeJong, 26, agreed to a plea deal of voluntary manslaughter after initially being charged with second-degree murder. Judge Kaiti Greenwade, who credited DeJong for time served, also ordered him to pay $3,945 for a gas station burglary the night of the deadly assault.
DeJong was arrested following a violent altercation with Woods, which, according to a police report, occurred outside of the Cedar Knoll Apartment Complex on August 25, 2021, after DeJong was reportedly kicked out of a bar for unruly behavior. After arriving at the apartments, police said an intoxicated DeJong became upset with Woods for being disrespectful to Woods' female roommate and yelling ensued.
The police report says Woods, who possibly had a knife, bent down, and DeJong charged at Woods, pushed Woods to the ground and then kicked and stomped on Woods' head before fleeing the scene. The man then reportedly burglarized a Rapid Robert's gas station and stole several items. He also pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree burglary for the offense.
Woods died of his injuries six days later at a local hospital.
DeJong was sentenced in 2020 for a charge of resisting arrest and, after posting bond following his deadly altercation with Woods, allegedly committed two counts of second-degree domestic assault in Christian County late 2023.
In the domestic case, DeJong is accused of assaulting two women, one of whom was pregnant. DeJong could face even more time behind bars if he is found guilty or pleads guilty to the alleged crimes.
"(Victim 2) started crying on the phone and is really afraid if he gets out," the charging documents reads. "They believe he needs to stay in jail without bond. Both victims would state that Defendant has been drinking a lot of alcohol, and he acts like he has nothing to lose since he is going to prison on the murder case."
Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and email at rcollingwood@news-leader.com. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jacob Dejong sentenced in beating death of 74-year-old Springfield man
