Randy Larkin tells jury he is not a murderer on day 7 of his trial

IDAHO FALLS — Randy Larkin, a man charged with first-degree murder, testified in his trial Wednesday, claiming he shot a 36-year-old father in self-defense.

Larkin, 60, is charged with one count of first-degree murder for the death of Morey Pelton. Larkin’s friends — Gerald Hamlin and William Burton — were in a vehicle with him the night of the incident on May 12, 2022. Hamlin drove, Larkin was a passenger, and Burton sat in the backseat.

As the jury trial hits one week of testimony, the defense first continued with witnesses, discussing blood splatter and Pelton’s body position after the shooting.

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Kim Duddy, a former forensic scientist for the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, testified about blood splatter found at the crime scene where Pelton’s body was found.

Duddy told the jury that Larkin’s family hired her to determine how Pelton’s body was positioned when he was shot.

The scientist said Morey was “between a seated and nearly standing position” as he looked to the left, in the driver’s side doorway of his car, when he was shot.

Defense attorney David Leroy asked Duddy if she had any issues with the crime scene photos, and she responded that many of them were out of focus, were taken from too far away to examine any details and did not include a scale.

Duddy testified that Pelton had an entrance wound near the left jaw, an injury through his neck, and an exit wound near his right “axillary area” or shoulder.

When questioned by Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, Duddy said there were large amounts of blood transfer on Pelton’s jeans, the ground, and the driver’s side of Pelton’s car.

Prosecutors then asked Duddy to demonstrate, using a detective, how Pelton was positioned when he was shot.

Larkin’s testimony

The defendant, Larkin, then testified in his own murder trial. When asked by his defense attorney, Allen Browning, if he was a murderer, Larkin responded, “No, I am not.” But Larkin did admit to shooting Pelton.

Larkin testified that he is disabled from a hip replacement surgery in 2017 and said he still needs surgery to fix it.

According to Larkin, Pelton began dating one of his friend’s daughters, which is how they met. Larkin said Pelton had borrowed $4,000 from him in March 2022 and only paid him $850 back by April, when they reportedly agreed he would pay him back.

“It was common knowledge what he would do (with the money),” said Larkin. “He would probably run down south and buy dope.”

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Larkin said he never threatened to kill or hurt Pelton but said he was “known to hold or carry a gun” because he hunted wolves, and he had seen a holster in his shirt in other instances.

He later said he “thought” Pelton carried a gun in his shirt but never actually saw it. Larkin told the jury that Pelton told him he kept a pistol between the console and driver’s seat of his car.

When asked if Pelton had a “reputation for violence,” Larkin responded, ‘He was a very angry person at times.”

Larkin’s version of events

According to Larkin, he met with a man named Kelly Hincks on May 12 and talked about how Hincks was going to buy methamphetamine from Pelton at The Family Dollar Store in Ririe.

Larkin said he did not consume methamphetamine on that day, and he did not have any with him. Hincks asked if he also wanted to buy drugs, and Larkin said no but agreed to meet at the store to talk to Pelton.

Before going to the store, Larkin said he went to his house and met with Hamlin and Burton, who were working on his home.

Larkin said Hamlin brought methamphetamine from Washington and sold it to him, but he did not use it that day.

According to Larkin, the three men got into Hamlin’s car. Hamlin was driving, and Burton was in the back, reportedly drunk. The men went to The Covered Wagon bar in Irwin, ordered beers, and waited for Hincks to call them.

Larkin said he received a call from Hincks after they left the car, and he passed the Lane Clark rest stop in Ririe on his way to The Family Dollar Store.

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They reportedly turned around and returned to the rest stop but did not see anybody else there. They left to check another rest stop, but again, they did not see anyone, so they returned to Lane Clark.

Larkin said he brought a gun with him to the rest stop “to stop any violence.”

“In case he freaked out, I wanted to protect myself,” said Larkin.

A few minutes later, Larkin saw Pelton arrive, so they backed out and followed his car to the bottom parking lot of the rest stop. They saw Hincks’ car parked next to Pelton’s, so they parked behind him, across the parking lot.

Larkin said before he got out of the car, he put a gun in his waistband. Pelton reportedly yelled, “Did you see my emails?” and Larkin replied, “Morey, you don’t even have my email address.”

Pelton then yelled at Larkin for bringing a gun. Hincks asked him to put it away, and Larkin claimed he was scared for his safety and asked Pelton when he would pay him back.

Pelton reportedly said, “I’ll pay you when I decide to pay you.”

Larkin claimed they continued to argue, and he took a couple of steps before hearing Pelton’s car door slam into Hincks car.

In court, Larkin was asked to demonstrate the distance between him and Pelton and how things physically occurred.

Then, Larkin said, he turned around and heard “the crunch of gravel and the light in Morey’s vehicle, so I knew the door was open.”

Larkin said he saw Pelton try to get out of the car and said he believed Pelton was under the influence of methamphetamine.

“He was crazed,” said Larkin. “His eyes were that big around, he was looking at me, and he had white spittle on the sides of his mouth.”

According to Larkin, he saw “something silver and black,” so he shot Pelton.

“I didn’t think I shot him. I thought he was gonna get back in his car,” said Larkin. “But then he stood up, turned around, looked back at me, doubled his fists and fell right down on his face.”

Larkin said he knew right away that Pelton was dead.

“Blood was falling everywhere. He didn’t move or nothing,” said Larkin.

Browning asked Larkin if he took any of Pelton’s money or drugs after he was dead, and Larkin said he did not. After the shooting, Larkin said he went back to Hamlin’s vehicle and said, “Let’s get the f*** out of here.”

Browning asked if Larkin was scared after the shooting.

Larkin replied, “I knew I was a dead man. Morey was well-connected with the Mexican mafia. I knew as soon as they found out I shot Morey, I’d be dead, if not worse.”

Larkin denied threatening anyone after the shooting and said he talked with Hincks after the shooting at his house. When asked how the shooting affected him, he looked at the jury and replied, “It fu***** me up, guys. Excuse my language.”

He then said he tried to commit suicide after the shooting, saying he was in fear for his and his family’s safety from Pelton’s alleged connections.

Hamlin has been sentenced to retained jurisdiction for his involvement. According to court records, Burton was not charged with a crime in this incident. Hincks was found dead in a field in January.

The court ended the day due to scheduling conflicts, and Larkin’s testimony will resume Thursday at 9 a.m.