Police say N. Idaho man ‘snapped.’ He faces 4 murder charges in ‘horrific’ killings

A 31-year-old man faces four counts of first-degree murder in the execution-style slaying of a Kellogg family with whom he shared a duplex.

Majorjon Kaylor made his first court appearance in Shoshone County Magistrate Court wearing an orange jail jumpsuit Tuesday morning. Kaylor is accused of killing Kenneth Guardipee, 65; his daughter, Kenna Guardipee, 41; and her sons, Devin R. Smith, 18, and Aiken Smith, 16.

Kaylor told police that Devin Smith exposed himself to his young children, according to investigators, who said they have not confirmed Kaylor’s claims about the teenager’s supposed conduct.

Police responded to reports of shots fired at a duplex at 515 W. Brown Ave at about 7:20 p.m. Sunday. Shortly after the first call, a second call came in reporting that someone had “executed his neighbors,” according to court documents.

A few days earlier, Kaylor’s wife, Kaylie Kaylor, posted on Facebook that Devin Smith had exposed himself to her young daughters on June 13. She also said he could be seen through a window masturbating in front of them, according to court documents.

She said they reported the incident to police.

There are no court records indicating that Devin Smith faced any charges after police investigated. Idaho State Police, who are investigating the killings, referred questions about Smith to the Kellogg Police Department. The Kellogg Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Sunday, Majorjon Kaylor arrived home from work, got his handgun and wore it outside as he joined his children and wife to water plants in the shared backyard of the duplex, Kaylie Kaylor told police, according to court documents.

Majorjon Kaylor told police that he confronted Kenna and Kenneth Guardipee over the alleged incident involving the teenager and was upset they didn’t seem to take his concerns seriously, which led to an argument.

Then he “snapped,” “lost it” and “did something about it,” police said the 31-year-old told them.

Kaylie Kaylor’s account of the incident was similar to that of her husband’s. She said she heard gunshots before Kenna and Kenneth Guardipee dropped to the ground. She ran upstairs to her apartment and heard more shots, according to court documents.

She told police that her husband said he did what he had to do and to tell the kids their dad protected them.

Video surveillance from a nearby business captured the argument and subsequent shooting, according to court documents.

Officers arrived at the duplex to find the Guardipees dead outside their ground-floor apartment with gunshot wounds to the temples. Aiken Smith was found inside the home with a gunshot would to the temple. Devin Smith was found behind a bedroom door on his knees face-down with multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

All the victims were shot at close range, police said.

Investigators found a .45-caliber Hi-Point semi-automatic pistol with what appeared to be blood on it in a truck parked in the duplex’s driveway, according to court documents.

Based on the number of empty shell casings found at the scene, investigators wrote in court documents that Kaylor likely had to reload magazines to discharge the number of rounds found at the scene.

Kaylor was arrested after the shooting and booked into the Shoshone County Jail. He spoke in court Tuesday only to respond to questions asked by Shoshone County Municipal Court Judge Keisha Oxendine as she read out the five charges against him, which include one count of burglary for entering the Guardipee home.

Prosecutor Benjamin Allen said Kaylor confessed to the shooting when interviewed by police.

“Admissions were ultimately made to the offenses charged,” Allen said.

The prosecutor said the killings were done in a “horrific manner.”

Kaylor has a “sparse and sporadic criminal history,” with a handful of misdemeanor driving infractions. He also has one drug possession case that he pleaded down to a misdemeanor, Allen said.

Kaylor has lived in Shoshone County his whole life and has a nonviolent criminal history, Kaylor’s public defender said, before deferring argument over his bond.

Kaylor was remanded into custody without bail. After the hearing, a handful of deputies walked him across the street to the Shoshone County Jail.

Kaylor’s preliminary hearing is set for July 3 at 1:30 p.m.