Final defendant sentenced in the Clark Hill Rest Area murder case

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — A man who pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a murder was sentenced on Monday.  William Burton, 62, will serve five years, two years fixed, followed by three years indeterminate, meaning he could be eligible for parole.

Burton was riding in a vehicle with Randy Larkin and Gerald Hamlin on May 13, 2022, the night Pelton was killed. Pelton's body was later discovered at the Clark Hill Rest Area, along US 26 east of Ririe.

According to testimony presented in court, Larkin shot Pelton during a dispute over drugs.

Prosecutors said Burton, who was sitting in the back seat and was intoxicated at the time of the shooting, withheld critical information from investigators when questioned about what happened.

Larkin was convicted of second-degree murder in November 2024 and is serving a life sentence.

Hamlin pleaded guilty in July 2024 to accessory charges and concealing evidence. Hamlin was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison and was placed in Idaho's rider program.

Court documents also identified Kelly Hincks as being involved in the case. Hincks died in January 2024 before any charges were filed against him.