COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho (AP) - An Idaho man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and robbery in a 2016 killing sparked by road rage.
Justin Booth entered the plea Monday in the killing of William Kirk. Charges of arson, kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
The other defendant in the case, David Hutto, was convicted of murder and sentenced last year to life in prison.
Kirk had been driving home from work in October 2016 when he flashed his high beams at the vehicle in front of him occupied by Booth and Hutto.
Investigators said Hutto and Booth, who were roommates at the time, followed Kirk to his home in Coeur d’Alene and kidnapped the man from his driveway. They stole Kirk’s debit card, zip-tied his hands and drove the victim into the Coeur d’Alene National Forest. Kirk’s burned GMC pickup truck was found that night, but it wasn’t until three days after he went missing that Kirk’s body was discovered.
Booth had prior convictions for robbery, burglary and other felonies, and was on parole at the time of the murder. He later was arrested for possessing a Taurus .38-caliber revolver - the same gun used to kill Kirk, according to court records.
First District Judge Scott Wayman will decide at Booth’s Aug. 1 sentencing on whether to go along with the plea agreement that calls for a sentence of no more than life behind bars on both counts and allows prosecutors and defense attorneys to argue the fixed portion of the sentence.
Booth is being held on a $2 million bond.
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