Mark Bent sentencing postponed
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - UPDATE 5:00 p.m. - A man who was to be sentenced Monday for first degree murder will have to wait.
Mark Bent was supposed to receive his sentence, but that didn't happen.
The reason for the postponement is because Bent claims there are two police reports he didn't recognize.
This came out during the pre-sentencing investigation.
Bent pleaded guilty for a shooting in early September of last year.
23-year-old Nikolas Bird was shot multiple times.
Bent later called 911 and reported his involvement.
Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal said something like this happens doesn't happen often.
"It's pretty uncommon, although discovery is something that is a focal point of pretrial procedures," Neal said. "I mean, we are constantly trying to make sure that everything that comes in to us gets over to the defense. Then the defense has to kind of constantly make sure that everything comes to them, gets to the defendant. So commonly, before you go to trial, you'll do a final review. |n fact, we've had a defense attorney come over and sit down in our office and just go through everything we have to make sure that they've got it. And usually you try to do that far enough in advance of a trial so it doesn't affect it, delay it."
The judge scheduled a status hearing for Jan. 8.
The hearing will double check to make sure all the evidence complied by the state has been reviewed by bent and his defense team.
That hearing will then decide what happens next whether it means Bent changes his plea or if he will be sentenced.
"If he wants to, then just proceed to sentencing like we were planning today, then that would be set up for the next hearing. And if he feels like something else has to happen, then of course, we'll discuss that on that day," Neal said.
Neal said all parties involved want to ensure everything happens right the first time.
ORIGINAL: Mark Bent, the man charged with first-degree murder after shooting and killing 23-year-old Nikolas Bird, will appear in court Monday, Dec. 11 to receive his sentence.
In Sept. 2022, the Idaho Falls Police Department responded to the 1500 block of Claire View Lane, after someone called 911 when they heard gunshots in the area.
Officers found one male victim with multiple gunshot wounds, who was later identified as Nicholas Bird. Bird succumbed to his injuries on the scene despite life-saving efforts from officers.
Shortly after the shooting, Bent called Bonneville County Dispatch to indicate his involvement with the shooting. Officers then arrested him at gunpoint but without resistance from Bent.
Investigators said the two men knew each other before the shooting.
Bent's sentencing hearing is at 1:30 p.m. in the Bonneville County Courthouse.
