Man sentenced to prison for murder of 36-year-old father at Ririe rest stop
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IDAHO FALLS — The courtroom was full of emotion Wednesday afternoon as a 62-year-old man was given a lengthy prison sentence for the second-degree murder of a Swan Valley father of two.
District Judge Bruce Pickett sentenced Randy Michael Larkin to 25 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder of 36-year-old Morey Pelton.
He will also be required to pay over $20,308 in restitution and court fees.
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Two other men — Gerald Hamlin and William Burton — were in the vehicle with Larkin the night of the murder on May 12, 2022, where they met with Pelton and another man, Kelly Hincks, at the Lane Clark Rest Area along U.S. Highway 26 between Ririe and Swan Valley.
Hamlin drove, Larkin was a passenger, and Burton was sitting in the backseat.
A jury found that Larkin shot Pelton in the head after an argument about money that Pelton owed him.
Pelton’s body was found by a passerby the day after the shooting.
Burton was not charged, but Hamlin was sentenced to a retained jurisdiction, placing him on a rider program where Hamlin will complete a treatment program in prison for one year.
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Larkin initially pleaded not guilty after being indicted on July 14, 2022, for first-degree murder and a sentencing enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon.
On Nov. 22, after a 10-day jury trial, a jury found Larkin guilty of second-degree murder, including the enhancement.
Sentencing
During the sentencing, Larkin’s defense attorney, Allen Browning, recommended three to 10 years in prison for his client, reminding the court that Larkin was convicted of second-degree murder, not first-degree murder, meaning that he did not plan the murder before going to the rest stop to meet Pelton.
“I thought it was important for everyone to understand that there’s a huge difference between the conviction of first-degree murder and second-degree murder. It’s in the statute,” said Browning.
Browning also noted that Larkin has numerous health issues that doctors have reportedly described as “grave.”
“When (Larkin) was first incarcerated, he was scheduled to have a (back) surgery. … That did not occur,” said Browning. “Since arriving in the jail, he’s contracted COPD, which does damage to your lungs, has also contracted RSV, which further does damage to your lungs, and he is required to be on oxygen all the time.”
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Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal recommended 25 years to life in prison, saying many people’s lives were negatively affected by Larkin’s actions, including Pelton’s children.
“I think the court is probably going to be considering some elements of Mr. Larkin’s health, perhaps his age. I think that’s a mistake because this is a crime that by all rights, is the most severe that can be committed by a human,” said Neal. “You take away everything a person has and ever will.”
Neal also said the defense tried to make Pelton look like a “villain.”
“The name of this victim was dragged through the mud. He was publicly made to be a villain. That was unnecessary, and it was inappropriate,” said Neal. “It was a situation where there was a decision to be made about accountability. And (Larkin’s) decision was, ‘I’m gonna try to avoid it any way I can.'”
Pelton’s family speaks
“You murdered my son and left him alone to die like he was nothing.”
Three people close to Pelton, including Jennifer Spaulding, the mother of one of Pelton’s children; Jennifer Kramer, Pelton’s mother; and Martin Pelton, Morey’s father, gave victim impact statements during the hearing.
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Spaulding told the court that the murder of Pelton has caused both her and their young son to seek counseling, saying they spent their lives in fear for their safety up until Larkin turned himself in months after the murder.
“The trauma of this murder has caused (their son) and I so much pain, grief and anxiety,” said Spaulding. “Not only did Randy create this pain for our family, but then we had to listen to Randy (Larkin) and his attorney slaughter Morey’s name. They used his hardest battles and his addiction to try and throw him under the bus when Randy was the threat. Randy was the one holding the gun that night.”
Kramer spoke to the court about the pain she feels from Morey’s life being taken away due to a “petty amount of money.”
“Randy Larkin has shown no remorse for the pain he caused. You murdered my son and left him alone to die like he was nothing — just a casualty of (Larkin’s) reckless violence,” said Kramer. “May he have to confront the destruction he caused and the pain he continues to inflict through his callousness.”
Last to speak was Morey’s father, Martin, whose words caused Larkin to sob as Martin spoke about the close bond he had with his son.
“For the last two and a half years, I’ve been navigating a world that feels irrevocably altered. I’m haunted by a loss so profound that I cannot express the words that define the hurt I feel every day,” said Martin. “(Morey) was my best friend, my bud, the thing that brought me joy, my hunting partner, my fishing buddy, my world, my everything.”
Martin spoke about the grief he feels for his grandchildren, who won’t get to have their father at their life milestones.
“(Larkin) robbed Morey’s two sons of having a father,” said Martin. “He won’t be there for football games, basketball games or graduation, either of their weddings. No fishing over the years with their dad. This hurts the most. Those boys never got the chance or pleasure to get to know their father.”
Larkin’s statement
Larkin then gave his statement to the court, apologizing to Pelton’s family through tears, saying that he wishes he could take back his actions that led to Pelton’s death.
“It’s been said today that I have no remorse, and I do every day. I know what I have done to Martin — a single dad, raised his kid, that’s his whole life,” said Larkin. “It was horrific. It was a terrible thing that happened, and I can’t take it back. And God knows I’d like to take it back, but I can’t.”
Before pronouncing sentence, Pickett spoke to Larkin, stating that while he recognized that Larkin has a loving and supportive family and that he had health issues, but neither of those things excuse taking another’s life.
“You don’t leave people to die. And in this case you did,” said Pickett. “I wish there was something we could do, but there isn’t. This is a terrible situation brought about because of pride, drugs and recklessness, and the court can’t accept that.”