Morey Paul Pelton, 36, of Ririe, Idaho, was found dead the morning of May 13, 2022, at the Lane Clark Rest Area on U.S. Highway 26 between Ririe and Swan Valley. He suffered a single gunshot wound, with court testimony placing the shooting at about 9:45 p.m. on May 12. Pelton was born in Idaho Falls on August 19, 1985, worked about a decade in construction for Earth in Motion and had two sons; family remembrances emphasize his love of hunting, fishing, floating the river and time in the mountains.

Prosecutors say the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a drug deal and money Pelton allegedly owed Randy Michael Larkin. Court filings allege Larkin went to the rest area with Gerald Linn Hamlin and William James Burton Jr., that Larkin brought a firearm and made threatening remarks, and that after a brief confrontation Larkin shot Pelton and the group left without calling 911. Hamlin later testified to hearing the challenge and the gunshot; he was subsequently indicted and has pleaded guilty to accessory and evidence-destruction charges while agreeing to testify.

Kelly Hincks, who arranged the meeting and was present, was identified as a person of interest but was never charged; he died in January 2024 and portions of his prior grand-jury testimony were read at later proceedings. Was anyone at the Lane Clark Rest Area that night who can shed more light on what happened?