Testimony becomes emotional in Mark Bent murder trial

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — It was an emotional day in court for the loved ones of Nikolas Bird, the man who was allegedly shot and killed by suspect Mark Bent. Bent turned himself in after the September 2022 shooting and pleaded not guilty to his first-degree murder charge.

On day two of the murder trial, prosecutors brought former Idaho Falls Police Officer Robin Ludovico to the stand. Ludovicos' bodycam footage showed her attending to Bird as he lay motionless with several gunshot wounds.

Body camera video also showed Ludivico telling Bird, "I'm here with you," because she knew it was likely Bird was going to die.

Around the time of the shooting, someone called into dispatch about a post on Bent's Facebook page. The post claimed that Bird and other members of a local car club, The Castaways, had spread harmful rumors about Bent. 

It reads that Bent's main goal was to "kill Nik Bird” and "to let this be a lesson to those who think it's okay to spread rumors." Police cannot confirm that Bent was the one who wrote the post.

For our past coverage on this case, click HERE.