Blackfoot man pleads guilty to vehicular manslaughter in death of Peyton Allen
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IDAHO FALLS — Family and friends of Peyton Thomas Allen filled a Bonneville County courtroom Monday to watch as a Blackfoot man pleaded guilty to the vehicular manslaughter of the slain man.
Kevin Scott Spaulding, 42, was initially scheduled for a jury trial to determine his role in the 2018 death of Allen. Instead, defense attorney Kelly Mallard told the court Spaulding had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
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“I feel numb and sad that we are coming up on the one-year anniversary of my son’s death, and the man that killed him just barely today pled guilty,” Marci Allen, the mother of Peyton Allen, told EastIdahoNews.com.
Allen, 18, was riding his motorcycle to work on Sunnyside Road around on June 19, 2018, around 5 a.m., when Spaulding, who was in a silver Range Rover, didn’t yield and struck him, police said. Allen was wearing a helmet and protective gear, but he died on impact.
Mallard said the plea agreement stipulates Spaulding plead guilty to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in exchange for prosecutors dismissing two unrelated felony burglary charges he received in March. Spaulding will still plead guilty to a felony grand theft charge related to those burglaries Tuesday.
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In misdemeanor cases, judges can sentence at the time of the guilty plea; however, Magistrate Judge Stephen J. Clark sided with the defense’s request to sentence at a later date. Mallard requested the sentencing delay pending the outcome of the March burglary case.
Marci Allen wasn’t happy with the delay.
“Kevin Spaulding has been given so many chances to learn from his past mistakes,” she said. “Kevin has been given a small slap on the wrist every time he has committed a crime. At what point is enough enough? I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that pain and suffering my family has for the last year. Something needs to be done.”
She remembers her son with a lot of pride. He had just signed on with the United States Marine Corps before his death and was waiting to ship off to boot camp.
Spaulding has been held in the Jefferson County Jail since March due to a probation violation. He is expected to be transported to the Bonneville County Jail to await sentencing in the coming days.
Spaulding is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 for the vehicular manslaughter. The court has yet to schedule sentencing for the felony grand theft charge, pending completion of a pre-sentence investigation.