Majorjon Kaylor: Idaho man receives life sentence for massacre of neighbor's entire family to 'execute vengeance'
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
KELLOGG, IDAHO: Majorjon Kaylor, a 32-year-old man from Idaho, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal massacre of his neighbor's entire family.
The horrific incident, which took place on Father's Day in 2023, resulted in the deaths of four individuals, Kenneth Guardipee, 65; his daughter, Kenna Guardipee, 41; and her two children, Devin Smith, 18, and Aiken Smith, 16.
Insights into Majorjon Kaylor's quadruple murder
Kaylor's violent rampage stemmed from what he described as a desire to "execute vengeance" after the 18-year-old allegedly exposed themselves to his wife and daughter. Following the massacre, he pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder.
During the sentencing hearing, First Judicial District Court Judge Barbara Duggan condemned Kaylor's actions, labeling the killing spree as a "particularly heinous event." Family members of the victims were given the opportunity to deliver impact statements, expressing profound grief and loss.
“He killed an entire branch of our family tree,” David Silva, the grandfather of two of the victims lamented. “Never any great grandchildren to watch grow up. I lost my best friend (Aiken Smith). He spent hundreds of hours volunteering throughout the community. An entire beautiful family taken by one person,”
Gerri Silva, the mother of another victim, spoke of the devastation of losing "three generations" of her family, reported Law & Crime.
Final moments before the fatal tragedy
The massacre took place in Kellogg, following a dispute between neighbors. Kaylor and his family had recently moved into an upstairs apartment in the same building as the victims. Tensions escalated after the suspect and his family reported an incident of alleged indecent exposure involving one of the victims.
Despite attempts to address the situation peacefully, Kaylor confessed to snapping and ultimately resorting to violence as a form of retribution. The indictment characterized the killings as a means for the suspect to “execute vengeance.”
The bodies of the victims were discovered at the scene, each having suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Law enforcement officials recovered a .45 caliber handgun believed to have been used in the murders.
Kenneth Guardipee’s brother, Joe Guardipee, delivered a poignant statement, criticizing, “What a man you are, not only did you destroy my family, but yours as well. You said you were protecting your children, let me ask you: Who’s protecting them now?”
