A Springfield man was sentenced to 12 years in a Missouri Department of Corrections prison for his involvement in a 2022 robbery attempt that left his accomplice shot to death.
William John Macken, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree assault and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. He was sentenced on March 22 by Greene County Circuit Judge Jerry Harmison.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to not file any more charges — including murder — related to the Feb. 13, 2022, shooting death of Spencer Anderson. According to Missouri’s felony murder rule, a person can be culpable of murder if they commit a felony or attempt to commit a felony and another person is killed as a result.
According to the probable cause statement filed against Macken, Anderson was fatally shot while Anderson and Macken were attempting to rob or carjack a driver near the Timberwood Apartments at 2107 E. Cherry St.
Macken has been in the Greene County Jail since his arrest in March of 2022. While in jail, Macken was charged with fourth-degree assault for striking another inmate on May 28, 2023. For this charge, Macken was found guilty and sentenced to 60 days in jail.
Macken, under Missouri law, is a persistent felony offender. Because first-degree assault is considered a dangerous felony, he must serve at least 85% of his sentence before he becomes eligible for parole.
