Advertisement Man gets 4½ to 10 years in shooting death over food James Buterbaugh plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in shooting of David Ackerson in Grant Township Share Shares Copy Link Copy

An Indiana County man has been sentenced to 4 1/2 to 10 years in prison in the shooting death of a longtime friend because the suspect was angry that the victim took food from the suspect's mother.Fifty-nine-year-old James Buterbaugh of Marion Center apologized to the victim's family during Friday's sentencing in Indiana County Court.James Buterbaugh pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter last fall.State police in Indiana, Pa., said Buterbaugh and David Ackerson, 51, got into an argument over a plate of food at Ackerson's home in Grant Township on May 25.VIDEO: Watch Ashlie Hardway's reportButerbaugh told state police that he was awakened by Ackerson around 8 a.m. as Buterbaugh slept inside his pickup truck at Ackerson's home in Grant Township. He said the two men drank beer before Ackerson left for church and Buterbaugh fell back asleep inside the truck.Buterbaugh then confessed he was later awakened by Ackerson, who had brought two plates of food for himself and Buterbaugh. The food was given to Ackerson by Buterbaugh's mother, Donna Lee Buterbaugh.Buterbaugh said he grew angry because Ackerson always "mooches" off people. Buterbaugh said he left for a dirt gas-well road between his home and Ackerson's, and Ackerson followed. As Ackerson approached his truck, Buterbaugh told police he said to leave or he would shoot him. Ackerson reportedly said, "Go ahead and shoot me," and Buterbaugh told police that's when he shot Ackerson. Afterward, Buterbaugh called 911 to report the shooting."You want to talk about a senseless killing? A plate of food. The defendant alleged that the victim had been mooching food from his mother and that upset him," District Attorney Patrick Dougherty said. "The ironic thing was she made a plate of food for the defendant and one for the victim, for some reason that didn't sit well with the defendant."Ackerson was pronounced dead at Indiana Regional Medical Center, police said."My understanding is that they were friends and they would drive places together and he would help out, the victim would help out, so I think this is really a big surprise," Dougherty said.