DeKalb man gets 30 years after pleading guilty to murder in 2020 shooting death of Rochelle teen

SYCAMORE – A DeKalb man who was 18 when he was accused of fatally shooting a Rochelle teenager in 2020 pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder and will spend the next 30 years in prison, court records show.

Adam D. Koertner, now 21, of the 900 block of Greenbrier Road, DeKalb, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the 2020 shooting death of Jacob Zamora of Rochelle, who also was 18 when he was killed. In exchange for the plea, Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick sentenced Koertner to spend 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Koertner previously pleaded not guilty in February 2020. He faced a life sentence.

Under Illinois law, Koertner must serve 100% of his sentence. He will be given credit for the 1,139 days of time he’s served on no bond at the DeKalb County Jail since his Jan. 27, 2020, arrest, according to a news release from the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“This case is extremely sad and tragic,” DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato said. “Two families are forever torn apart because of the defendant’s choice to use a gun to settle a difference between these two young men. I wish for healing and peace for the victim’s family as they continue living with their grief.”

According to court records, Koertner’s plea came after a Jan. 23, 2020, shooting in the 800 block of Edgebrook Drive.

Prosecutors previously said a 2018 stabbing over cannabis led to the shooting death of Zamora in a DeKalb apartment. Prosecutors said police believe Koertner made a FaceTime call shortly after the 2020 incident in which he said he shot the person who stabbed him.

In his Tuesday sentencing hearing, DeKalb County Assistant State’s Attorney Suzi Collins said that DeKalb police were called to an apartment about 11:15 p.m. that day and found a person later identified as Zamora unresponsive and bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds, records show.

“This case is extremely sad and tragic. Two families are forever torn apart because of the defendant’s choice to use a gun to settle a difference between these two young men.”

—  DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato

A witness told police that they saw Koertner entering 835 Edgebrook Drive, formerly Hunter Ridgebrook apartments now known as The Terraces of DeKalb, just before the shooting, records show. The witness told police they also saw Koertner run from the building immediately after the shooting.

Prosecutors argued that surveillance footage captured in the area also corroborated the witness’ allegations that Koertner was at the property when the shooting happened.

Koertner had attended Sycamore High School, although his last known address is in DeKalb.

Prosecutors previously said the stabbing occurred when both Koertner and Zamora were juveniles. Prosecutors said June 24, 2018, that Zamora tried to steal some cannabis from Koertner and then stabbed him.

It’s unclear how the 2018 case was resolved or what formal charges were made because juvenile records are sealed.