BOISE, Idaho — Kevin N. Kuintzle was charged on Wednesday, Sept. 20, with the killing of a Jerome resident, 84-year-old William Eakin, and other crimes stemming from the death. He is also being charged with a firearm robbery that happened the same day as the killing, and prompted the College of Southern Idaho to shelter in place, police say.
Kuintzle is being charged with first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The probable cause affidavit filed in court by the Jerome County Sheriff's Office says Jerome County Sgt. Jason Wetherson responded to Eakin's house at 91 Bob Barton Rd. on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. to assist Deputy Austin Dixon with a welfare check. A friend of Eakin told deputies they hadn't seen him and his red Toyota Rav4 was missing. Dixon made contact with a neighbor, and they reported encountering a man and woman behind the house, police said.
The responding deputies gained access to the house and said they found Eakin in his bed with a gunshot wound behind his right ear. Eakin was wearing a CPAP and the device was last used on Sept. 16 at 12:05 a.m., according to the affidavit.
Someone called the police hours later around 4 p.m. claiming to be Eakin asking why police were at the house and claiming that he was with his granddaughter in Twin Falls, according to the police report. At the same time as the phone call, deputies had already confirmed Eakin to be dead.
Around 7 p.m. the red Toyota was found abandoned on the side of the road at 731 Golf Course Rd. in Jerome County, according to the report. It was tracked down by a phone call to a local towing company, where a woman requested the tow.
Idaho State Police (ISP) referenced the number to Twin Falls jail records and found the number to belong to 42-year-old Erika N. Brock, said the report. Later, an eyewitness identified Brock as on the victim's property earlier that day.
The police report says two days later Brock spoke with police, saying she had information about the Jerome murder. She was transported to the Twin Falls Police Department and was interviewed.
She told officers that a week before the murder, Kuintzle told her about the Jerome house, and that the resident is "really old" so they could easily get in, take and sell stuff and it would take a long time for anyone to find out. On Sept. 9 they pawned some tools at local pawnshops, and days later, Kuintzle said he wanted to pawn more.
On Saturday, Sept.16, Brock said she received a phone call from Kuintzle asking what she was going to be doing tomorrow, and if everything went right, they would be "set for life", according to the police report.
Kuintzle called the next day and picked her up in the red Toyota and they both drove to the Jerome home and parked in the back of the house, the police report says. She says that Kuintzle told her the old man had committed suicide and that if anyone talks to them pretend to be the granddaughter of Eakin.
In the report, she says that a man approached them at one point and she pretended to be the Eakin's granddaughter. They left the property and she dropped off Kuintzle at his car parked at a convenience store. She then continued and parked at Golf Course Rd. and was told by Kuintzle to call for it to be towed.
Kuintzle told her he needed to get rid of a gun and drove to the water treatment plant, according to the police report. Kuintzle called the non-emergency number, claiming to be Eakin and later they threw a long rife into the water.
On Monday, Sept. 18, Brock explained they went the the Mini-Cassia area to pawn some firearms, the police report says. She later says Kuintzle bragged about being at the scene of the crime when law enforcement was there. Kuintzle pawned two handguns and a rife.
The police report says after the interview they retrieved the rifle from the river near the water treatment plant and they recovered the pawned firearms.
After the investigation, they determined Kuintzle to be a suspect, and detectives began surveillance on him, according to the police report. Kuintzle was taken into custody after a chase happened Interstate 86. They discovered the vehicle was stolen and a firearm was found on the floorboards. Also, Eakin's checkbook and Ranch fuel card were found on his person.
The report says Kuintzle was interviewed and spoke in 3rd person hypotheticals. He says he was unsure if the was anyone in the house, spent 5 - 6 days prior to the killing, and was using meth, LSD and PCP. He also explained that he didn't talk to the victim and bragged about being in the house while a deputy was sitting outside in his patrol car.
Kuintzle is also being charged with armed robbery on Sept. 17, where a suspect approached a female and demanded money, her phone, and a vehicle, according to police. The suspect returned and gave the phone back. She was unharmed.
In response to the incident, the College of Southern Idaho issued a shelter-in-place order, which remained until Sept. 18.
Kuintzle is being held at the Jerome County Jail with a bond of $1 million.
Brock was also arrested and charged with accessory to murder and grand theft.
Read the probable cause affidavits filed by the sheriff's office for both Brock and Kuintzle:
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