Man convicted of involvement in murder of 36-year-old

RIRIE — A plea deal allowed a 62-year-old man to be placed in a rider program for his involvement in the murder of 36-year-old Morey Pelton.

District Judge Bruce Pickett sentenced Gerald Hamlin of Puyallup, Washington, to three to 10 years in prison. As part of a plea deal, Hamlin has agreed to testify against Randy Larkin, the man accused of killing Pelton.

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Pickett then retained jurisdiction and placed Hamlin in a “rider” program, where Hamlin will complete a one-year treatment program in prison. Once the program ends, Pickett can decide whether to send Hamlin to prison for his sentence or release him on probation.

Hamlin was indicted and arrested on February 8 on one count of first-degree murder, one count of accessory to first-degree murder, and one count of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.

In July, he accepted a plea deal in which he agreed to plead guilty to aiding and abetting a crime, intentionally withholding knowledge of a crime from a peace officer and destroying, altering or concealing evidence.

In return, the prosecutor agreed to drop the charge of accessory to first-degree murder and argue for retained jurisdiction at sentencing.

Pelton’s death

Pelton’s body was found on May 13, 2022, at the Lane Clark Rest Area on US Highway 26 between Ririe and Swan Valley. He died of a single gunshot wound, according to Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal.

Another man, Randy Larkin, was indicted by a grand jury in 2022 and charged with one count of first-degree murder. He is in the Bonneville County Jail on a $1 million bond. A jury trial in his case will begin on November 12.

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Prosecutors say Hamlin drove Larkin to and from the rest stop where Pelton was killed. Hamlin then left Idaho for 18 months after the murder.

Condemnation

‘…a sadness so deep that I struggle to find words to describe.’

Hamlin’s sentencing began with three victim impact statements from Pelton’s mother, father and the mother of one of his children, expressing the pain and trauma they have experienced since learning about the 36-year-old’s murder.

Pelton’s father, Martin Pelton, told the court through bated breath and tears about Morey, describing life without his son as “almost the death of me.”

“My pride, my breath, my joy, my world. Morey was my everything,” Martin said. “Morey deserves justice. I visit Morey’s memorial almost every day. Here he breathed his last. I wonder: why did this happen? The pain I feel is unimaginable. Why didn’t Mr. Hamlin or anyone else call 911?”

Martin also submitted numerous photos of himself and his son over the years for the judge to consider before deciding on a sentence for Hamlin.

Morey’s mother, Jennifer Kramer, struggled to read her statement aloud through her tears, ultimately choosing a victim’s attorney to read the statement to the court on her behalf.

“The moment I received the news of my son’s tragic death, my world shattered into a million irreparable pieces,” Kramer wrote. “Knowing that he was left alone to die, while his perpetrators heartlessly drove away, fills me with a sadness so deep that I struggle to find words to describe.”

Morey’s former partner, Jennifer Spaulding, also wrote a statement for the court prepared by a victim advocate explaining the impact Morey’s murder had on their child.

“I will never forget the day I found out Morey had been murdered. My father and I sat down and told (Morey and Jennifer Spaulding’s son) together that his father had been taken from this world. And I saw my 12-year-old boy crying in pain,” Spaulding said. “After hearing about Morey’s traumatic death, my family and I spent months before anyone was arrested in Morey’s case, worrying about whether we would be in danger afterward.”

After listening to the victim’s impact statements, Hamlin’s attorney, John Thomas, argued that his client was in the wrong place at the wrong time and did not know Larkin would allegedly kill Morey Pelton.

“Sir. Hamlin wants the court to understand and consider the fact that he withheld evidence, withheld knowledge of the fact that he was there when someone died. But he was not an active participant in what happened,” Thomas said. ‘He will not be convicted or tried for that. That’s for another day for another man. Gerald Hamlin has no respect, no love, no care for Randy Larkin.”

According to Thomas, the evidence Hamlin destroyed was text messages between him and Larkin about bringing methamphetamine to Swan Valley, not about the murder of Morey Pelton.

“Gerald just wants the court to know that he is extremely remorseful for what happened. It’s not a situation that someone would normally find themselves in when they’re in the middle of something like this and then they go on with their lives and they’re contacted by the police,” Thomas said. “There were so many unknowns like, ‘Well, the police are approaching me.’ What should I say? I fear for my life because Randy Larkin is still here.”

Neal, the prosecutor, argued for an underlying sentence of five to 10 years in prison if Hamlin does not do well in his rider program.

Neal said Hamlin made “a lot of promises” to the court, and that his cooperation in Larkin’s conviction is the reason for the agreement to recommend an equestrian program.

“We believe that with that type of cooperation, with the ten months of incarceration, the additional retained jurisdiction, and the truthful and full cooperation in the prosecution of Randy Larkin, it would be appropriate for Mr. Hamlin’s recommendations to reach a plea agreement come. followed,” Neal said.

Neal reminded the court that this is still a serious matter and that Hamlin should have called 911 and tried to save Morey after seeing him get shot.

“This is a case of the most serious nature. This is a premeditated murder, and it cannot be lost on anyone that there should never have been any suspicion that Morey Pelton could not have been saved if Mr. Hamlin had done what every citizen was expected to do,” he said. Neal. “It is a legal obligation. It’s not something that shows good character, it’s not something that only good people do. It is a requirement of the law.”

Hamlin declined to make a statement in court.

Before handing down the sentence, Pickett explained his ruling, noting that Morey Pelton’s mother’s statement had an impact on him.

“There’s a statement that Ms. Kramer made that I thought was powerful: ‘This is a void that can never be filled.’ And that is true,” said Pickett. “I served on this bench for ten years as a judge and ten years as a prosecutor. There are crimes that take place where a void will never be filled.”

Pickett reminded Hamlin that citizens have moral expectations of each other in times of danger.

“I am not aware, and I do not believe the state is aware, of any direct evidence that would show that Mr. Hamlin had any prior knowledge of the murder,” Pickett said. “But he did after that, and he should have done something. … That’s why society expects people to act in situations like this.”