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Background: Mark Bent at his sentencing hearing on Monday, Feb. 10, 2023 (East Idaho News). Inset: Nikolas Bird (Flamm Funeral Home).
An Idaho man was sentenced this week to a minimum of 45 years and a maximum of life in prison for murdering a man he says bullied him on Facebook — shooting him 17 times in the street outside the victim’s home — over “rumors” that the killer was an undercover cop.
Mark Bent, 43, was found guilty in December of first-degree murder and felony enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony for the September 2023 killing of Nikolas Bird, 23, outside his home in Bonneville County, according to East Idaho News. Bent, who was sentenced Monday, took to Facebook after the fatal shooting to explain why he took Bird’s life, saying it stemmed from online bullying related to his occupation. Bird’s family has denied the bullying accusation and says there’s no evidence to support it.
“I am saddened to say that I have committed some serious crimes today that will put me in jail for the rest of my life or lead to death,” Bent wrote after the shooting, according to prosecutors and East Idaho News. “As some of you know, shortly after I moved to Idaho Falls, I was slandered on Facebook with rumors of me being an Undercover Police Officer. Those rumors were followed by threats, harassment and more slander. Even after the facts were out that I am not a Police Officer of any kind, people still chose to believe it and continue to harass, threaten me and eventually look up where I live and work and post it on the internet.”
Bent was found guilty in December following a week-long jury trial, with prosecutors saying he planned the killing months in advance after being allegedly targeted on Facebook. He claimed during the trial that he blacked out during the shooting.
“This all started from me being involved with a local Facebook group called East Idaho Speedhunters and a car club called The Castaways,” Bent claimed on Facebook. “After being involved with The Castaways for a short time and seeing that they were involved with a lot of illegal activities, I departed from them. Because of that, the rumor of me being an Undercover Police Officer began and even though it seemed to pass, the rumor eventually came back to light.”
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According to Bent, people kept posting about him on the Speedhunters page “in a negative way” to the point where he started to think about “attacking on one of the car meets/shows they attend,” East Idaho News reports.
“But my main goal was to kill Nik Bird, the founder of the Castaways that started all of this by spreading rumors,” Bent said. “He also posted where I work. So I told myself that if anything were to happen to my job, I will go after him. Unfortunately for him and his friends, I lost my job recently, so I followed said plans.”
At his sentencing hearing Monday, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal repeated the word “bang” 17 times to symbolize the amount of times Bird was shot. Bird’s parents gave impact statements during the proceeding, which were reported by East Idaho News. Bent could be seen crying at times.
“Nikolas loved with every fiber of his being,” said Bird’s mother, Tara Withers. “You knew you were loved when you were loved by Nik Bird.”
Describing Bent, Withers said: “Mark took any future Nik would’ve ever had. He will never know what it’s like to be married or to buy his first home. Mark took this away in the most brutal way possible. Mark laid in wait for over an hour to kill Nikolas.”
Bird’s father, Todd Bird, said each day is a “relentless reminder of what we’ve lost” since losing Bent last year.
“Nik’s laughter, his infectious smile, and the warmth of his presence,” Bird said. “And now, I find myself navigating life in a work that feels dark. Daily life is overshadowed by his absence. The joy that was once in our lives has been replaced by all-consuming sadness and longing for my son.”
