Kansas man enters Alford plea in July 2020 robbery case in Marion County, gets 20-year prison sentence

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. — A Junction City, Kan., man entered an Alford plea of guilty to three felonies on Nov. 13.

Jeffrey Shannon Stulgate, 31, pled guilty to first-degree robbery, a Class A felony; first-degree tampering, a Class D felony; and resisting a lawful stop by fleeing, a Class E felony. Judge Scott Hayes sentenced him to 20 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on the robbery charge, four years in prison for the fleeing charge and seven years in prison for the tampering charge. The three prison terms will be served concurrently.

By entering an Alford plea, Stulgate would have maintained his innocence but agreed the state had enough evidence to prove him guilty.

As part of the plea agreement, Marion County Prosecuting Attorney Luke Bryant filed a motion for nolle prosequi — a formal entry of record by Bryant who declared he is unwilling to prosecute a case — on another count of first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and one count each of attempted first-degree robbery and assault in the first degree.

Randolph County court documents said Clint Duppong, a law enforcement officer, attempted to stop Stulgate in Marion County on July 14, 2020. Stulgate fled from Duppong and drove at a high rate of speed in the on-coming lanes of traffic on U.S. 36. Further investigation revealed Stulgate forcibly stole a Ford F-250. 

A Randolph County jury found Stulgate guilty on all eight counts during a jury trial that ended Aug. 25, 2023. However, in light of technical issues, a mistrial was declared on Jan. 10.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.