Neighbor faces four murder charges in execution-style killing of Kellogg family

WALLACE - A 31-year-old man faces four counts of first-degree murder for 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 he “snapped” after Devin Smith exposed himself to his young children. Investigators have not confirmed if there’s any legitimacy to Kaylor’s claims about the teenager’s 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, who investigated.

There are no court records indicating Devin Smith was charged with a crime related to the alleged incident. The 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.

A family friend of Smith, Katy James, said the boy had a learning disability and struggled socially, but had been getting help through a program at school.

A classmate of Smith’s, Daisy Sawyer, said he had harassed her at school and was known to be inappropriate.

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 backyard that is shared with the Guardipees, Kaylie Kaylor told police, according to court documents.

Majorjon Kaylor told police he previously confronted Kenna and Kenneth Guardipee over the alleged incident and was upset they didn’t seem to take his concerns seriously.

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

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

She told police her husband said he did what he had to 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 their temples.

Aiken Smith was found inside the home with a gunshot would to his temple. Devin Smith was found behind a bedroom door on his knees face down with multiple gunshot wounds to his head.

All the victims were shot at close range.

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 it’s likely Kaylor had to change or reload magazines to discharge the number of rounds found at the scene.

Kaylor was arrested following the shooting and booked into the Shoshone County Jail. He made his first court appearance Tuesday morning.

He spoke 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.

Allen did not describe the incident in detail but 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 works at a local mine, Allen said. He 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.

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

The 31-year-old bowed his head slightly in the rain, making the word “Savage” tattooed above his eyebrow visible.

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