BILLINGS — A Billings man who claimed he shot another man to death in self-defense during a road rage incident was sentenced to prison Thursday.
Yellowstone County District Court Judge Jessica Fehr ordered Jacob Troxel to serve 60 years at Montana State Prison for deliberate homicide.
The judge ordered a weapons enhancement of an additional 10 years in prison and said Troxel will be required to register as a violent offender.
Troxel, 31, was found guilty of the murder charge at a trial held in January. Troxel was charged following the Aug. 20, 2022, shooting death of 29-year-old Michael Duran.
The shooting happened near the downtown intersection at Fourth Avenue North and North 32nd Street following a road rage incident that escalated into a physical confrontation before Troxel fired a handgun at Duran multiple times. Duran died a short time later.
The incident was caught on MTN surveillance cameras.
At trial, Troxel's defense attorney argued the fatal shooting as a justified use of force and a clear case of self-defense.
Prosecutors said Troxel's actions were unprovoked and unnecessary.
On the surveillance video, Troxel and Duran argue for about seven minutes. Troxel shoves and punches Duran throughout the altercation, before backing away and getting in his vehicle. At that point, Duran approaches Troxel's vehicle, and within about a minute of doing so he falls to the ground after being shot.
The case took an unusual path as prosecutors first took it to a coroner's inquest in October 2023 to determine whether Troxel should be charged with a criminal offense.
