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View Full CaseQuadruple Murder — Convicted — Life Without Parole
The Guardipee Family Murder
● Four Victims — Three Generations
Execution Style
Life Without Parole
Father's Day 2023
Kellogg, Idaho
The Victims
The Guardipee Family
Victim One
Kenneth Guardipee
| Full Name | Kenneth "Kenny" Guardipee |
| Age at Death | 65 years old |
| Date of Death | June 18, 2023 |
| Role | Grandfather; father of Kenna |
| Siblings | Joe Guardipee; Cheryl Guardipee |
Kenneth Guardipee, known to those who loved him as Kenny, was 65 years old and in the middle of his retirement years. He had recently suffered a heart attack and was on the road to recovery. He had found a rhythm in those later years: spending time with his daughter and grandsons, helping Kenna raise Devin and Aiken, and simply being present for the family he had helped build. Lori Schierman, a lifelong family friend, said Kenna had raised the boys on her own with her dad's help. That partnership was visible to everyone who knew the family.
Kenny was described by family as a man enjoying the particular peace that comes with retirement and grandchildren. His brother Joe Guardipee said at the sentencing that Kaylor had not only destroyed their family but his own. His sister Cheryl told the court that her trust in humanity had been fundamentally challenged. Kenneth Guardipee was unarmed when he was shot and killed outside his home.
Victim Two
Kenna Guardipee
| Full Name | Kenna Guardipee |
| Age at Death | 41 years old |
| Date of Death | June 18, 2023 |
| Occupation | Kitchen staff — Mountain Valley of Cascadia |
| Mother | Jerrilyn Silva |
Kenna Guardipee was 41 years old, a single mother who had built her life around her boys and her work. She held a job in the kitchen at Mountain Valley of Cascadia, an assisted living facility that sat directly across the street from the duplex where she was killed. Her coworkers described her as a bright light on difficult days; someone who would give you a hug and tell you it would get better. Longtime family friend Katy James called her super sweet and kindhearted. Her coworker Merissa Anderson said she was very strong-willed and hardworking.
Kenna loved the outdoors. She took her boys camping, huckleberry picking and skiing. Mountain biking photos appeared regularly on her social media. She fostered in Devin and Aiken a love of the world beyond their neighborhood, and she did most of it on her own with her father's help. Her mother Jerrilyn Silva told the court at sentencing that she had not slept or found peace since the night Kenna was killed. Kenna Guardipee was unarmed when she was shot and killed outside her home.
Victim Three
Devin R. Smith
| Full Name | Devin R. Smith |
| Age at Death | 18 years old |
| Date of Death | June 18, 2023 |
| Education | Recent graduate, Kellogg High School |
| Grandfather | David Silva |
Devin Smith was 18 years old and had just graduated from Kellogg High School. He had a learning disability that made social situations difficult for him, and he had worked hard throughout his schooling to get the support he needed. His family described him as someone who was figuring out his next steps with the love and guidance of the people around him. His uncle said at sentencing that Devin had some mental health challenges but was being supported by his family as he found his path.
Devin was Kenna's older son. He was part of a family that was actively working to ensure he had every opportunity to grow and build a life of his own. At the time of his death, Kellogg Police had investigated an alleged incident involving Devin and had recommended misdemeanor charges; those charges had not been formally filed when he was killed. Devin Smith was shot multiple times at close range inside his home.
Victim Four
Aiken Smith
| Full Name | Aiken Smith |
| Age at Death | 16 years old |
| Date of Death | June 18, 2023 |
| Activity | Marine Corps Junior ROTC — Kellogg High School |
| Grandfather | David Silva |
Aiken Smith was 16 years old and dedicated. He had joined the Marine Corps Junior ROTC program at Kellogg High School and taken to it completely. He received two national-level awards from the program and wrote publicly about joining as one of the best decisions he had ever made. He wanted to serve. He wanted a military career. He had found the direction he was looking for and was moving toward it with everything he had.
His grandfather David Silva described him as the shining star of the family. The two had been working together on a 1957 Jeep Wrangler, a project Silva said he had no one left to pass it on to. At the sentencing of Majorjon Kaylor, Silva broke down on the stand. He said he had lost his best friend. He told the court that three generations of the family had been erased entirely and that an entire legacy had been completely destroyed. Aiken Smith was 16 years old. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was shot and killed inside his home.
01
Background
What We Know
The Guardipee family had recently moved into the ground floor apartment of a duplex on the 500 block of West Brown Avenue in Kellogg, Idaho. Their upstairs neighbor was Majorjon Kaylor, 31, who lived there with his wife Kaylie and their young daughters. The two families shared the building and the backyard.
On June 13, 2023, Kaylie Kaylor contacted the Kellogg Police Department to report that Devin Smith had exposed himself through his bedroom window in view of the Kaylor daughters while they were playing in the shared backyard. Police investigated, took a report, and recommended misdemeanor indecent exposure charges. The report was forwarded to the Shoshone County Prosecutor's office. As of June 18, 2023, the charges had not yet been formally filed. Devin Smith had a learning disability that affected his social behavior; family friends said he had been receiving support through school programs and was working to address his issues. Investigators stated they never independently confirmed the legitimacy of Kaylor's claims.
When Kaylor learned that misdemeanor charges might be filed but had not yet been served, he became increasingly agitated. He confronted Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee directly and was upset that they did not, in his view, take his concerns seriously. Court documents and the sentencing judge later established that during his June 13 conversation with police, Kaylor told officers he would take matters into his own hands if he felt he needed to. That statement was treated by investigators as significant context.
On the evening of June 18, 2023, a Father's Day, Kaylor came home from work at a local mine. He retrieved his handgun and went outside wearing it. He joined his wife and children in the shared backyard to water plants. An argument broke out between Kaylor and Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee over the alleged incident and the perceived lack of consequences. Kaylie Kaylor witnessed the argument. Moments later, she heard gunshots and watched Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee fall to the ground. Both were unarmed.
Kaylor then entered the Guardipee home through what prosecutors charged as a burglary. Inside, he found Aiken Smith and shot him in the temple. He found Devin Smith behind a bedroom door, on his knees, face down, and shot him multiple times at close range. He returned to his wife and told her he had done what he had to do and to tell their children their father had protected them. Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the argument and the shooting in the yard. All four victims were shot at point blank or near point blank range in the head. The Shoshone County dispatch center received a 911 call at approximately 7:20 p.m. Law enforcement arrived, found all four deceased, and detained Kaylor at the scene.
Case Timeline
How It Unfolded
June 13, 2023
Kaylor Reports Alleged Incident to Police — Warns He Will Take Matters Into His Own Hands
Kaylie Kaylor contacts Kellogg Police Department to report that Devin Smith allegedly exposed himself through his bedroom window while the Kaylor daughters were playing in the shared backyard. Police investigate the complaint that day, take a report, and recommend misdemeanor indecent exposure charges. The report is forwarded to the Shoshone County Prosecutor's office. During the interaction with police, Kaylor tells officers he will take matters into his own hands if he needs to. The misdemeanor charges have not been formally filed as of June 18.
June 18, 2023 — Approximately 7:20 p.m.
Father's Day — Kaylor Kills All Four Members of the Guardipee Family
Kaylor returns from work, retrieves his handgun, and goes outside with his wife and daughters to water plants in the shared backyard. An argument breaks out with Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee. Kaylie Kaylor hears gunshots and watches both Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee fall to the ground outside. Kaylor then enters the Guardipee home and shoots Aiken Smith inside the residence and finds Devin Smith behind a bedroom door, on his knees and face down, and shoots him multiple times. Kaylor tells his wife he did what he had to do. Surveillance video from a nearby business captures both the argument and the yard shootings. A 911 call is received at approximately 7:20 p.m. Officers arrive to find all four dead.
June 18–20, 2023
Kaylor Arrested; Charged with Four Counts of First-Degree Murder and Burglary
Kaylor is detained at the scene by law enforcement. He is interviewed, confesses to the shooting, says he "snapped" and "lost it" and "did something about it," then declines further comment and asks for an attorney. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary for entering the Guardipee home. The Idaho State Police, Kellogg Police Department, and Shoshone County Sheriff's Office work the scene through the night. The Shoshone County Coroner's Office confirms all four deaths as homicide by gunshot. Kaylor makes his first court appearance June 20 before Judge Keisha Oxendine; no bond is granted.
June 20–21, 2023
Community Mourns — Memorial Grows Outside the Duplex
Friends, neighbors, and community members begin gathering outside the West Brown Avenue duplex. Flowers, balloons, photos and signs reading "Justice for Guardipee Family" are laid out. Kellogg High School publishes grief resources and counseling information for students on its website. Katy James and other longtime friends of the family speak publicly about who the Guardipees were. Investigators note they have not confirmed the legitimacy of Kaylor's claims about Devin Smith's conduct.
September–October 2023
Kaylor Pleads Not Guilty; Defense Seeks Partial Dismissal
Kaylor pleads not guilty to all four counts at his arraignment in September. Trial is scheduled for January 9, 2024. The state announces it will not seek the death penalty. In October 2023, Kaylor's defense files to dismiss two of the four first-degree murder counts, specifically those for the deaths of Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee, arguing there is insufficient evidence of premeditation for those killings. The motion does not contest the charges for the deaths of Devin and Aiken Smith. No ruling is required; a guilty plea resolves the matter in December.
December 18, 2023
Kaylor Pleads Guilty to Four Counts of Second-Degree Murder
In a Shoshone County courtroom that fills with tears, Kaylor enters guilty pleas to four counts of second-degree murder, reduced from the original first-degree charges. Judge Barbara Duggan asks Kaylor directly whether he willfully, deliberately and with malice killed all four victims. He says yes. Eight members of the Guardipee family sign the plea agreement. Sentencing is set for March 25, 2024.
March 25, 2024
Life Without Parole — Shoshone County District Court
A packed Shoshone County courtroom hears from dozens of the victims' family members before Judge Barbara Duggan sentences Majorjon Kaylor to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge notes that Kaylor had told police at the time of the June 13 complaint that he would take matters into his own hands, and calls the June 18 killings a calculated choice. Kaylor shows no reaction and declines to address the victims' family. The courtroom fills with gasps and sobs as the sentence is read. Kaylor is led immediately from the courtroom and transferred to Idaho State Prison.
03
Law Enforcement
The Investigation
The investigation was led by the Idaho State Police at the request of the Kellogg Police Department, which recognized the scale and complexity of the scene exceeded local resources. The ISP worked in collaboration with the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office, the Kellogg Police Department, and the Shoshone County Prosecuting Attorney's Office throughout the night of June 18 and into the following days.
Officers arrived at the duplex to find Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee dead outside the ground floor apartment with gunshot wounds to their temples. Aiken Smith was found inside the home with a gunshot wound to his temple. Devin Smith was found behind a bedroom door, face down on his knees, with multiple gunshot wounds to his head. All victims had been shot at close range or point blank range. A bloody ball cap was found on the edge of the hot tub near the bodies. A .22 caliber bullet fragment was recovered from the floor near the body. Crime scene technicians found no DNA evidence belonging to anyone other than the victims.
Kaylor was detained at the scene and interviewed. He stated he had "snapped," "lost it," and "did something about it" in reference to the alleged incident involving Devin Smith. He then declined further comment and requested an attorney. His wife Kaylie provided a corroborating account of events leading up to the shooting, including the argument in the backyard and the sequence of shots she heard. She also confirmed Kaylor's statements to her about having done what he had to do and having killed four people.
Surveillance footage from a business near the duplex captured the argument in the backyard and the subsequent shootings of Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee. This footage was central to establishing the sequence of events and contradicted any claim that the outdoor killings were spontaneous. The footage, combined with Kaylor's own admissions and his wife's account, produced a case prosecutors described as relatively strong.
Investigators noted at the time of the initial report on June 13 that the Kellogg Police Department had taken appropriate action: the officer investigated the complaint, took a report, and submitted it to the prosecutor's office for charges. Kellogg Police Chief Paul Twidt stood by his officer's handling of the complaint. Prosecutors confirmed that charges had been referred and were in the process of being filed at the time of the murders. The charge had not yet been formally served on Devin Smith when he was killed five days later.
Probable Cause Affidavit
State of Idaho v. Majorjon A. Kaylor — Affidavit of Probable Cause (PDF)
04
Convicted — Life Without Parole
The Accused
Majorjon A. Kaylor
Majorjon A. Kaylor
Age 31 at Time of Crime — Kellogg, Idaho — Lifelong Shoshone County Resident
Original Charges: Four counts first-degree murder; one count burglary
Plea: Guilty to four counts second-degree murder — December 18, 2023
Sentence: Life in prison without the possibility of parole on all four counts
Sentenced: March 25, 2024 — Judge Barbara Duggan, Shoshone County District Court, Wallace, Idaho
Occupation: Mine worker; lifelong Kellogg and Shoshone County resident
Prior History: Sparse and sporadic; misdemeanor driving infractions; one drug possession reduced to misdemeanor; no prior violent offenses
Family: Wife Kaylie Kaylor; young daughters
At Sentencing: Showed no reaction; declined to address the victims' family; did not speak
Case Closure Notes
Judge Barbara Duggan sentenced Kaylor to life without parole citing the heinous nature of the crime and the number of victims. She specifically noted that at the time of the June 13 police report, Kaylor had told officers he would take matters into his own hands, and she found that the June 18 killings were therefore a calculated choice. Kaylor's defense had asked the court to allow parole. The Shoshone County Prosecutor had requested 50 years fixed. The judge exceeded both positions, finding the case warranted the maximum sentence available. Russell Guardipee told the court Kaylor had killed an entire branch of their family tree: three generations, an entire legacy, completely destroyed by one person.
Forensic Breakdown
Evidence and Method
Method — Execution Style
All four victims were shot at point blank or near point blank range in the head. Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee were shot in the temple outside their home; both were unarmed. Aiken Smith was shot in the temple inside the home. Devin Smith was found behind a bedroom door, on his knees and face down, and was shot multiple times at close range in the head.
The manner of each killing was consistent with an execution. Prosecuting attorney Benjamin Allen described the crime as "relatively horrific" at Kaylor's first court appearance. The positioning of Devin Smith, found face down and on his knees behind a door, indicates he had retreated from or been cornered by his attacker.
Surveillance Video
A surveillance camera at a business near the 500 block of West Brown Avenue captured both the argument between Kaylor and the Guardipees in the shared yard and the subsequent shooting of Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee. This footage was cited in court documents and played a central role in establishing the sequence of events and the deliberate nature of the outdoor killings.
The footage directly contradicted any suggestion that the yard shootings were spontaneous or accidental. It documented the argument preceding the gunfire and confirmed the physical positions of the victims at the time they were shot.
Kaylor's Admissions
Kaylor made a series of incriminating admissions to police and his wife at or near the time of the killings. He told police he had "snapped," "lost it," and "done something about it." He told his wife he had done what he had to do and to tell their children he had protected them. He also told her directly that he had killed four people.
These admissions were captured in court documents via the accounts of his wife Kaylie and the interviewing officers. At the December 2023 plea hearing, Kaylor confirmed on the record that he had willfully, deliberately, and with malice killed all four victims.
Premeditation Evidence
Judge Duggan found at sentencing that the killings were a calculated choice rather than a spontaneous act. She cited two specific indicators: Kaylor's June 13 statement to police that he would take matters into his own hands, and surveillance footage showing Kaylor looking around the duplex in the period before the shooting on June 18.
Kaylor arrived home from work, retrieved his firearm, and went outside with it before the argument began. This sequence indicates preparation rather than reaction. The prosecution charged the killings of Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee as premeditated and those of Devin and Aiken as premeditated, committed in vengeance, and committed in the perpetration of burglary.
The Burglary Charge
In addition to the four murder charges, Kaylor was charged with one count of burglary for unlawfully entering the Guardipee home. After shooting Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee outside, Kaylor entered the residence to find and shoot Aiken and Devin Smith inside. The burglary charge reflected the unlawful entry element of the prosecution's case.
The burglary charge was ultimately not included in the December 2023 plea agreement, which resolved the case on four counts of second-degree murder. The deaths of all four victims were confirmed by the Shoshone County Coroner's Office as homicide by gunshot.
The Unconfirmed Trigger
Kaylor's stated justification for the killings was the alleged indecent exposure incident involving Devin Smith on or before June 13. Law enforcement investigated that complaint, recommended misdemeanor charges, and forwarded the case to the prosecutor. The charges were pending but not yet formally served at the time of the murders.
Investigators stated publicly that they never independently confirmed the legitimacy of Kaylor's account of the incident. Devin Smith had a documented learning disability and social difficulties, and was receiving support through school. No allegation, confirmed or otherwise, concerning a minor or any other person justified the execution of four unarmed people.
In Memoriam
They Are Not Forgotten
On a Father's Day evening in Kellogg, Idaho, a family of four was erased. Kenny Guardipee, 65 years old, recovering from a heart attack and enjoying his retirement with his grandsons. Kenna Guardipee, 41 years old, a single mother working across the street at an assisted living facility, raising her boys on her own with her father's help. Devin Smith, 18, just graduated from high school, a young man with a learning disability who had been working hard to figure out what came next. Aiken Smith, 16, dedicated to his junior ROTC program, dreaming of the military, working on a 1957 Jeep with his grandfather.
Three generations. None of them armed. None of them given any chance to defend themselves or escape. An entire branch of a family tree, as Russell Guardipee said at the sentencing, gone in the space of a few minutes on a Sunday evening.
David Silva stood in that courtroom and said he had lost his best friend when he lost Aiken. He said he had no one left to pass the Jeep on to. Jerrilyn Silva, Kenna's mother, told the judge she had bad times all day every day and that she had not slept or found peace in nine months. These are the people left behind: the grandparents, the aunts, the uncles, the lifelong friends who built the memorial of flowers and balloons in front of that duplex the day after the murders, who held vigils and press conferences and filled the courtroom and kept saying the names of the people they loved.
Kenny. Kenna. Devin. Aiken. They are not forgotten. They were a family who loved the outdoors and each other, who were building lives and figuring things out and helping one another, and they deserved every one of the years they did not get to have. They are not forgotten.
Community Memorial — West Brown Avenue, Kellogg, Idaho
GoFundMe — Funeral Expenses for the Guardipee Family
Sources
The Spokesman-Review — Neighbor Faces Four Murder Charges in Execution-Style Killing of Kellogg Family, June 20, 2023 | The Spokesman-Review — Sweet and Kindhearted: Friends Remember Kellogg Family, June 20, 2023 | The Spokesman-Review — Man Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charges for Murdering Family of Four, December 18, 2023 | East Idaho News — Man Who Killed Entire Kellogg Family Sentenced to Life Without Parole, March 26, 2024 | Idaho Press — Man Who Killed Entire Kellogg Family Sentenced to Life Without Parole, March 26, 2024 | KHQ — Idaho Quadruple Murderer Majorjon Kaylor Sentenced to Life in Prison, March 25, 2024 | KXLY — Kellogg Quadruple Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison, March 2024 | CBS News — Majorjon Kaylor Charged in Deaths of 4 Idaho Neighbors, June 21, 2023 | NBC News — Idaho Killing of 4 Neighbors: Man Lost It After Neighbor Allegedly Exposed Himself to Family, June 21, 2023 | KMVT — Kellogg Quadruple Murder Suspect Seeks to Dismiss Charges, October 2023 | KXLY — Justice for Guardipee: Kellogg Community Remembers Victims, June 2023 | Idaho State Police — Update: Shoshone County Coroner's Office Identifies Kellogg Victims, June 20, 2023 | Idaho News — Kellogg Quadruple Murderer to Spend Life in Prison Without Parole, March 2024 | State of Idaho v. Majorjon A. Kaylor — Affidavit of Probable Cause
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