Randy Larkin found guilty of second-degree murder after nine day murder trial
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IDAHO FALLS — After a nine day trial, a jury determined 60-year-old Randy Larkin is guilty of murder.
The jury deliberated for nearly eight hours before the verdict came in, finding Larkin guilty of the second-degree murder of 36-year-old father of two, Morey Pelton.
According to Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, the difference in this case between first- and second-degree murder is premeditation. The jury found that Larkin did not plan Pelton’s murder before it happened.
Larkin’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8 at 1:30 p.m. He could face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
Larkin was indicted on July 14, 2022 on one count of first-degree murder for the death of Pelton.
Pelton’s father, Martin Pelton, spoke to EastIdahoNews.com after the verdict was read, speaking through tears as he described feeling relieved, but sad for Larkin’s family, and for his son, Morey.
“I feel bad for his daughters, you know, (they) didn’t deserve this,” said Martin. “It’s just a horrible thing for everybody. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. I’m relieved I don’t have to wake up and fight, call the prosecutor … it’s been a battle.”
For more on this trial, click here for opening arguments, here for witness testimony, here for Larkin’s defense, and here for Larkin’s testimony.
Closing arguments
Attorneys began their closing arguments Friday morning. Deputy prosecutor Steven Haderlie argued to the jury that Larkin planned to murder Pelton.
“He used to be this strong guy, this iron worker. But now he’s got this 36-year-old kid that won’t give him his money back,” said Haderlie. “He doesn’t have a lot of options, and he’s getting madder, and madder.”
Haderlie showed a series of text messages between Larkin and Pelton discussing the money Pelton owed him, and displaying the arguments they had over Larkin trying to get his money back.
“I’ve been patient more than you would of me now s*** come see me,” said Larkin to Pelton in a text message.
On May 12, the day of the murder, Pelton reportedly texted Larkin that the bank would not release the cash for him to pay back Larkin.
Haderlie argued that Larkin “didn’t have a lot of options” to get his money back, so he decided to kill Pelton, once he discovered he could meet him at the rest stop, and Pelton called him an “old man.”
“Randy Larkin cannot be an old man. Randy Larkin cannot handle a 36-year-old flaunting him. He shoots and kills Morey,” said Haderlie. “Randy Larkin didn’t just kill Morey Pelton. He murdered him.”
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Larkin’s defense attorney Allen Browning argued that Larkin killed Pelton in self defense, believing that Pelton had a gun in his hand as he was getting out of his car and coming toward him after a heated argument over money and drugs.
“Randy thought he had a gun. We know that in fact Morey did not have a gun at that time, but Randy thought he did,” said Browning. “He knew Morey always had a gun with him, and he knew when he was in a car, where he put his gun.”
Browning told the jury that many of the witnesses were not Larkin’s friends, and in fact “hated him”, including those that claimed Larkin threatened multiple people after the shooting to keep quiet or “snitches they find in ditches.”
“If (witnesses) don’t say what’s being expected of them, (prosecutors) ask the question again,” said Browning.
He then argued that Larkin did not premeditate a murder, because he did not plan the meeting with Pelton, which reportedly was supposed to happen during the daytime at The Family Dollar in Ririe.
“Randy was perfectly willing to talk with Morey Pelton in the daylight at the dollar store out in public,” said Browning. “He didn’t choose the meeting place.”
Browning claimed that Pelton, the victim, was motivated by “money greed and power” and ingested methamphetamines to “feel like Superman. Superman who doesn’t care who’s got a gun. He’s gonna attack them anyway.”
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“This was not an execution, and we’ve shown you why,” said Browning. “Something else happened that made Randy turn around and be in fear for his life.”
Browning noted that Pelton had an “extremely high level” of methamphetamine in his blood at the time of the shooting.
“(Pelton) would be suffering from psychosis, a loss of touch with reality, extreme violence, and he would be feeling like Superman,” said Browning. “All (Larkin) could do from that point, one second from death, was use the gun he had to protect himself.”
In closing, Browning told the jury that Larkin was defending himself from Pelton, quoting witness William Burton who reportedly said, “There’s no way that Randy Larkin went to that rest stop intending to kill anybody.”
“This case is about what happened in two minutes. Two minutes, not an execution,” said Browning. “I ask you to listen with a critical eye.”
Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal provided rebuttal arguments, stating that he recognizes the image Larkin is portraying to the jury, but asks that they recognize the person who cannot be here to tell his story.
“The defendant sitting at the table, who has medical issues, he’s elderly, and looks like he couldn’t hurt a fly,” said Neal. “You can’t see Morey Pelton. He can’t come in here and speak up for himself.”
Neal said the defense has tried to villainize the victim, when the real villain is Larkin.
“There is an attempt to make Morey look like an awful dude. Just a terrible person,” said Neal. “There must be some way for the victim to tell their side of the story.”
Neal said many small parts of the story have been lost since May 12, 2022 when the shooting occurred, and it is the jury’s job to determine what most likely happened.
Using a puzzle analogy, Neal said that many of the statements from the defenses witnesses “do not fit” with the actual story.
“I want to remind you, that what the lawyers say is not evidence,” said Neal. “The evidence about (Pelton’s) death, is that he was struck in the neck. (The bullet) passed in three directions left to right, top to bottom, and front to back.”
Neal then noted that none of the witnesses to the shooting testified that Pelton had a gun, and at no point did Larkin ask the witnesses if they thought he killed Pelton in self-defense – insinuating that he meant to murder him.
“If it’s self defense, why go destroy evidence? That doesn’t fit,” said Neal. “Why take the gun and put it into the dumpster? Why do that? Because you’re concealing evidence.”
Neal reminded the jury that Pelton was not the one with the gun, Larkin was.
“There he is, Randy Larkin. Being humiliated. His plan is not working,” said Neal. “And now, the person he’s trying to get drugs and money from is calling his bluff. ‘What are you going to do, shoot me?'”
Before turning the case over to the jury, Neal reminded them that Larkin’s daughter testified that he shot a man because he “called me old.”
“This was a power struggle,” said Neal. “There is only one conclusion. A drug deal gone bad, that led to murder.”