Poplar man who admitted to murdering 3 sentenced to over 15 years in prison

POPLAR, Mont. – The U.S. Attorney’s office sentenced a Poplar man who admitted to shooting and killing three people he was using methamphetamine with.

74-year-old Michael J. Ackerman pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of second-degree murder and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. 

In May, U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris sentenced him to 186 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

The incident that led to the charges happened on Sept. 14, 2025. Yellowstone County deputies received a call and were told Ackerman had admitted to killing three people he was in a house with. 

Ackerman, after being read his Miranda rights, told law enforcement he had been using methamphetamine at his house with three companions. Then, he told law enforcement he believed the companions were “setting him up”. 

“Ackerman said he was in the bedroom with Jane Doe 1, and Jane Doe 1 had a pistol in her hand. In response, Ackerman picked up his Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistol and shot Jane Doe 1 twice in the head,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Ackerman then said he heard the other two people moving in the next room, so he walked over to where they were sleeping and shot them, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Fort Peck Law and Justice Department officers went to Ackerman’s house and found the bodies, with gunshot wounds and bullet casings nearby, the office said.