Four family members found dead in their Idaho home this week were identified by law enforcement Tuesday and the family’s neighbor now faces first-degree murder and burglary charges in connection to their apparent execution-style deaths.
According to Idaho State Police, the victims are Kenneth Guardipee, 65; his daughter Kenna Guardipee, 41; and her sons Devin Smith, 18, and Aiken Smith, 16.
The suspect in their slayings, 31-year-old Majorjon Kaylor, was arrested Sunday night, police said, shortly after a shooting at the family’s home in Kellogg, a small city in the state’s northern panhandle.
According to a statement from police, the victims died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Court records obtained by USA TODAY show all four were shot at close range. The bodies of the adults, records show, were found outside the home and the teens’ bodies were found inside.
A dispute over a reported indecent exposure
Authorities have not released the exact motive for the attack, but police said the slayings came on the heels of a dispute between the victims and Kaylor’s family.
According to a state police affidavit, a week before the shooting, Kaylor and his family − who live in a duplex apartment above the victims – accused Devin Smith of indecent exposure.
According to law enforcement, Kaylor’s family called police to report the eldest Smith was standing in front of his bedroom window, masturbating in view of Kaylor’s young daughters playing outside.
“We responded to the call, investigated the call, and the report was done that day and submitted to the prosecutor’s office for (misdemeanor indecent exposure) charges,” Kellogg Police Chief Paul Twidt told the Associated Press. “I stand by what my officer did, and he did everything he could at the time. Nobody could have foreseen anything like this.”
On Wednesday, court records showed there was no record of the charge being filed. It is possible Smith may have not been served with a warrant before he died.
The county prosecutor’s office could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY Wednesday.
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‘Executed his neighbors’
On the day of the killings, police responded to the duplex at about 7:20 p.m. for a report of shots fired. Court documents show that shortly after the call, a second call came in reporting someone had “executed his neighbors.”
Troopers said they found all victims dead at the scene along with multiple .45 caliber casings around their bodies, the affidavit continues. The father and his daughter were found outside near a garden area, each with a single gunshot wound to their temple.
Devin Smith was found on his knees face down in a bedroom with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Authorities found his younger brother between the kitchen and the living room with a single gunshot wound to his temple.
A ‘horrific’ crime
During Kaylor’s first court appearance Tuesday, Shoshone County Prosecutor Benjamin Allen called the crime “horrific,” The Associated Press reported. Allen also said Kaylor admitted to the killings during an interview with a state police detective.
According to court records, Kaylor told police he confronted the Guardipee family because he was upset they did not appear to take his concerns with Devin Smith seriously. Kaylor told investigators he “snapped” and “did something about it,” his arrest affidavit continues.
His wife told detectives her husband told her “he did what he had to do and to tell their kids he protected them,” the affidavit says.
As of Wednesday, Kaylor had not yet entered a plea in the case. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Court records show Kaylor is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on July 3.
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Contributing: Associated Press
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
