Columbia man sentenced to 18 years in prison after confessing to arson

COLUMBIA, Missouri (KMIZ)

A Columbia man pleaded guilty in court Friday morning and was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being arrested following a fire and a 16-hour manhunt in June 2023.

Brandt Feutz, 34, pleaded guilty to second-degree arson, first-degree harassment, two counts of resisting justice, illegal possession of a weapon, illegal use of a weapon and armed criminal action.

In June 2023, Feutz fired several bullets into his mother's home and set fire to his mother's garage in the 600 block of Huntridge Drive. He fled the scene, sparking a 16-hour manhunt, prosecutors alleged. Residents were asked to stay put for more than three hours while Columbia police searched the Old Hawthorne neighborhood and surrounding areas.

Feutz was found hiding in a residence in northern Boone County.

Fuetz will be sentenced to 428 days in prison, which, after his guilty plea, equates to a prison sentence of approximately 17 years.