NOTE: The following article contains content that some might find disturbing. Please read at your own discretion.
On Sunday, a family of four was shot to death inside their home in Kellogg, Idaho. Their neighbour, 31-year-old Majorjon Kaylor, was detained and later charged with four counts of first-degree murder for their deaths.
Idaho police believe a “dispute between neighbours” led to the fatal shootings and a newly released arrest affidavit for Majorjon paints a picture of those events before he allegedly “snapped” and killed Kenneth Guardipee, 65, his daughter Kenna Guardipee, 41, and her sons Devin Smith, 18, and Aiken Smith, 16.
The affidavit, which was obtained by CBS and NBC, details how Majorjon and his wife, Kaylie Kaylor, got into an argument with one of their neighbours just before the shootings happened.
Apparently things came to a head over an alleged indecent exposure incident: Less than a week prior, on June 13, the Kaylor family called police to report that Devin Smith had stood in front of his bedroom window, masturbating in view of their young daughters as they played outside.
The Kaylor family lived in the top unit of the two-floor building, while the Guardipee/Smith family lived in the bottom unit.
Kellogg Police Chief Paul Twidt told CBS that police investigated the call and filed a report to prosecutors recommending that Devin be charged with misdemeanour indecent exposure.
“I stand by what my officer did, and he did everything he could at the time. Nobody could have foreseen anything like this,” Twidt said.
Twidt says that the prosecutor’s office told his officer that charges would be pursued — but by the time Devin died, there was no record of the charge in the online court system. It’s possible that Devin had not been formally served with charges before the shootings, or the case had not been made public for some reason.
In Kaylie Kaylor’s statement to police, she and her husband got into an argument with Devin’s mother on Sunday evening over the possibility he would face no consequences for the indecent exposure incident.
She told authorities that she was standing near her husband when she heard gunfire. Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee both fell to the ground, she said, and they were unarmed. Her testimony adds that she heard more gunfire from within the home.
“Kaylie Kaylor further noted that (Majorjon Kaylor) said he did what he had to do and to tell their kids he protected them,” the affidavit reads.
When Majorjon was interviewed by police, he said he “snapped” and “lost it” over the dispute before he asked for a lawyer.
He also faces one count of burglary in connection to the crime. In Idaho, it is considered burglary to enter a home with the intent to commit a felony.
Majorjon appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday. KHQ in Spokane reported that he looked down when the judge read the names of the victims.
Prosecutor Benjamin Allen called his crimes “horrific” and noted one of the victims was a minor, at only 16 years old.
No bail has been set in the case and Majorjon has yet to enter a plea to the charges. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
These deaths come about half a year after Idaho was shocked by another quadruple homicide, when four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death in their home. Bryan Kohberger, 28, has been charged with four counts of murder in connection with those killings.
Comments