A Man Killed 4 Neighbors After Teen Masturbated In Front Of His Family, Police Say
An Idaho man has been charged with killing four of his neighbors on Father’s Day after a teen allegedly masturbated in front of the man’s family, according to an arrest affidavit.
Majorjon Kaylor, 31, said he “snapped” during an argument Sunday with the neighbors in Kellogg, Idaho, claiming that 18-year-old Devin Smith “had exposed himself, was shaking his penis, and masturbating” through a ground-floor window in front of Kaylor’s wife and daughters, police said in the affidavit.
According to police, Kaylor said he fatally shot Kenneth Guardipee, 65; his daughter, 41-year-old Kenna Guardipee; and her two sons, Devin and 16-year-old Aiken Smith, at around 7 p.m. Both of the Guardipees and Aiken appeared to have been shot once in their right temples at point-blank range with a semi-automatic handgun, investigators said, while Devin Smith suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his head.
From left: Kenneth Guardipee, Devin Smith, Kenna Guardipee and Aiken Smith. The four were fatally shot at their Kellogg, Idaho, home Sunday.
In a hearing Tuesday at Shoshone County Magistrate Court, Kaylor told a judge that he understood the charges against him and that he faced a potential maximum penalty of death or life in prison. His attorney, Lisa Chesebro, said she would defer to the judge regarding bond, which was denied. Chesebro did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment Wednesday.
Prosecutor Ben Allen called the killings “horrific” during the hearing.
Justin Klitch, the detective who interviewed Kaylor after the killings, said Kaylor told him he was upset that Smith’s mother and grandfather didn’t take his concerns seriously when Kaylor told them about the incident, and that Smith had been behaving suspiciously and watching Kaylor’s kids, according to the affidavit.
Kaylie Kaylor, Majorjon Kaylor’s wife, told investigators that the victims had recently moved into the apartment below them. She said she and her daughters were outside on June 13 when Smith stood fully nude in front of a window masturbating in front of them, the affidavit said. They called police, who investigated, according to the affidavit.
At around 6 p.m. Sunday, video surveillance allegedly captured the Kaylors in the backyard arguing with Kenna Guardipee, who was standing near her backdoor. Klitch said Kaylie Kaylor seemed upset because she didn’t believe Smith would face consequences from the police or the Guardipees.
“We responded to the call, investigated the call, and the report was done that day and submitted to the prosecutor’s office for charges,” Kellogg Police Chief Paul Twidt told The Associated Press about the Kaylors’ complaint over Smith, noting that his officer was told by the prosecutor that a misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure would be filed.
“I stand by what my officer did, and he did everything he could at the time. Nobody could have foreseen anything like this,” he added. (Twidt referred requests for additional comment to the Idaho State Police.)
Kaylie Kaylor ran upstairs after hearing gunshots during the argument and seeing Kenna and Kenneth Guardipee fall to the ground, and then heard additional gunshots, the affidavit said. According to police, Majorjon Kaylor told her “he did what he had to do and to tell their kids he protected them.”
The affidavit said the couple had also exchanged memes about Gary Plauché, who served no prison time after publicly shooting and killing the man who had kidnapped and raped Plauché’s son, as well as a drawing of a man shooting another man in the head with the caption “How to catch a predator.”
The apartment building in Kellogg, Idaho, where the shooting took place.
In interviews with the Idaho State Journal, friends and co-workers of Kenna Guardipee remembered her as “sweet and kindhearted” single mother. Her father was recovering after a heart attack and her son Devin Smith, who had a learning disability, had just graduated from high school, a friend said. Aiken was a “super good kid” who dreamed of joining the Air Force after high school, the friend said.
Kaylie Kaylor’s mother, Stacey Croston, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support her daughter and grandchildren.
“A tragic event has turned their lives upside down, leaving them with deep emotional and financial burdens,” Croston wrote. “Kaylie has tragically lost her home and means to provide for her children. … By assisting in this sudden financial crisis, we can help Kaylie focus on healing her family and providing a nurturing environment for her children during this tramatic time.”
Majorjon Kaylor is being held without bail on four counts of murder and one count of burglary. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for July 3.
