Another man arrested for role in 2022 Ririe rest stop murder three years after the killing
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SWAN VALLEY — A third man has been arrested in relation to the 2022 rest stop murder of 36-year-old Morey Pelton.
William James Burton Jr. is charged with felony accessory for willfully withholding or concealing knowledge of a felony from a peace officer, judge or jury.
Pelton’s body was found on May 13, 2022, at the Lane Clark Rest Area along U.S. Highway 26 between Ririe and Swan Valley.
In October 2024, Gerald Hamlin, 63, was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for felony accessory.
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In January, Randy Michael Larkin, 63, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder of Pelton.
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According to court documents, Burton, also known as “Billy Buckskin”, voluntarily went to the Swan Valley Field Office on June 14, 2022, to meet with detectives about the investigation into Pelton’s murder.
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Burton was asked “several times” during an interview about where he was on May 12. Burton allegedly denied that he was with Larkin on the night of Pelton’s murder, and said he “was not withholding any information (deputies) would find out later.”
Burton reportedly claimed he “wasn’t associated with the murder of Morey Pelton in any way,” according to police reports.
On Oct. 5, 2022, detectives interviewed Burton again, who reportedly “volunteered that he had in fact been with Randy Larkin” on the night of the murder. Burton told detectives he had been inside Hamlin’s Mercedes SUV when Larkin and Pelton were arguing in the parking lot of the rest stop.
Burton claimed he “heard a loud noise” during their interaction, but denied seeing Larkin with a firearm. According to police reports, Burton told detectives he “didn’t know Pelton was deceased until the following morning.”
He also stated that Larkin told him and Hamlin to “keep their mouths shut (about the shooting)”. Burton then allegedly admitted that he had withheld information about the investigation because he was “scared to death” and was worried that Larkin would hurt him.
According to Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, the charges took nearly three years because of concerns that charging Burton could have interfered with him testifying as a witness in Larkin’s 2024 trial.
A warrant was issued for Burton’s arrest on Thursday, and he was booked into the Bonneville County Jail with a $35,000 bond. He posted bail and was released on Friday.
Burton is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 9. If convicted, he could face up to 5 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.
Though Burton has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.