A Springfield man originally charged with second-degree murder for the 2021 killing of 74-year-old Larry Woods pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter on Feb. 20.
Jacob DeJong, 26, also pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and waived his right to a sentencing assessment.
In accordance with the plea agreement, Greene County Circuit Judge Kaiti Greenwade sentenced DeJong to 12 years in a Missouri prison for the voluntary manslaughter charge and seven years for the burglary charge. Those sentences are to run concurrently with credit given for time served.
Following the plea hearing in Springfield, DeJong was to be transported back to the Christian County Jail in Ozark, where he is facing two new charges of second-degree domestic assault.
Because DeJong waived his right to a sentencing assessment report and hearing, Woods’ family did not have an opportunity to give a victim’s impact statement at Tuesday's hearing. But after the hearing, Greene County Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Bergeon spoke to Woods’ daughter, who was seated in the front row of the courtroom gallery. Bergeon explained to her that if there is a sentencing hearing in the Christian County case, she’d be able to give a statement to speak about DeJong being a violent criminal.
What happened to Larry Woods?
According to court documents and information presented in court, Larry Woods died at a Springfield hospital on Aug. 31, 2021, about six days after DeJong assaulted him at the Cedar Knoll Apartment Complex in south Springfield.
According to the probable cause statement, Woods and DeJong got into an argument because DeJong believed Woods had been disrespectful to Woods’ roommate.
Had the case gone to trial, Bergeon told the court he would have presented video footage showing the two men in a heated altercation. The footage shows DeJong charged at Woods and pushed Woods to the ground. Bergeon said DeJong can be seen “striking him repeatedly” and continued to strike Woods even after Woods was unconscious.
According to the probable cause statement, Woods was holding a knife at some point during the altercation.
Following the incident at the Cedar Knoll Apartment Complex, DeJong burglarized the Rapid Robert's convenience store at 3405 S. Campbell Ave., damaging doors and stealing beer and a phone charger.
Judge Greenwade ordered DeJong to pay $3,945 in restitution to Rapid Robert's for the damages.
About the domestic assault charges
DeJong had been out on bail for nearly two years since Woods’ death, but was arrested and booked into the Christian County Jail in December of 2023 following two separate incidents.
According to court documents, DeJong posted a $150,000 bond on Dec. 27, 2021, which included the requirement that he live at a home in the 4000 block of West Lombard in Springfield.
Around 10 a.m. Dec. 1, 2023, DeJong was arrested at a house in Billings. There, it was alleged he strangled a woman, who told Christian County sheriff's deputies that she had attempted to hide alcohol from DeJong.
DeJong was booked and released from jail on that charge the same day.
Then on Monday, Dec. 4, DeJong was arrested again for a separate incident involving a different victim that occurred that morning at the same residence in Billings. According to the court documents, the victim in the Dec. 4 domestic assault is pregnant. DeJong allegedly kicked her in the stomach so hard she fell off a bed.
According to online court documents, Greene County prosecutors confirmed DeJong had on a court-ordered GPS monitor during his two arrests in Billings.
