Buda man gets life in 2010 murder

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — A man has been sentenced to life in prison in the 2010 shooting death of his friend in Buda.

A Hays County jury returned the sentence Monday for 54-year-old Mark Simmons after finding him guilty of murder, arson and tampering with evidence in the death of Steven Woelfel, whose body was found in his burning home.

The Austin American-Statesman reports Simmons, who represented himself, said he plans to appeal his conviction.

Simmons claims that the government had been harassing him with low-flying planes buzzing over his head day after day, putting him on edge. So when Woelfel produced a pistol while packing, he panicked and accidentally shot him.

Prosecutors say Simmons is an ordinary criminal who robbed and killed his friend for money.