He Was Upset With Homeless Man for An Unknown Reason. So He Decided To Beat Him To Death With A Metal Pipe

A Maryland man was reportedly upset with a homelesss man living out of his car. As retaliation, he beat him to death with a metal pipe.

Now, Mark Akers, 47, is slated to spend 23 years in prison after being convicted of the crime. Akers pleaded guilty to killing Johnny A. Pendergrast, formerly of Kansas City, Missouri, and was convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with a motor vehicle, according to Ozarks First.

Police say Pendergrast was living in his car in Springfield, Missouri at the time of the crime. According to Ozarks First, Pendergrast's body was found at a vacant business located at 1809 East Seminole on Dec. 1, 2020, by construction workers. The building had been demolished and a convenience store was put up in its place.

When police found Pendergrast's body, they noticed a metal pipe nearby and said the man had injuries that were consistent with being struck by a pipe.

Authorities also reported that Pendergrast's belongings, including the car, were nowhere to be found.

Ozarks First reported that surveillance video showed Pendergrast walking behind the building while being followed by another man, later identified as Akers, who later was seen dragging the man's body into the backdoor of the building before wiring the door shut.

Police located Akers sitting in Pendergrast's car on East Sunshine Street on Dec. 2, 2020. However, Akers told police that Pendergrast had allowed him to borrow the car. After police questioned Akers, they arrested him.

According to the News-Leader, an associate of Akers told police that Akers had confessed to the killing, stating that Pendergrast had done something to make him angry.