In the remote wilderness of Forney, Idaho, a dispute on October 19, 2021, ended in the tragic death of 32-year-old Jon Ryan Kesterson, a White male from Idaho Falls. The incident unfolded in the Panther Creek Road area of Lemhi County, where Kesterson was with Tel William Pethtel, then 26, and an unidentified woman. An argument erupted between Kesterson and Pethtel after Pethtel crashed a pickup truck. The confrontation escalated, leading to the discharge of multiple firearms.
Kesterson was struck by a bullet and died at the scene.
Following the shooting, Pethtel and the woman fled without alerting authorities. They sought help from a nearby hunters' camp to get a ride to a family member's home. In an attempt to cover up the crime, Pethtel destroyed evidence by burning blood-stained clothing and hiding the boots he was wearing. He also tried to create a false narrative about Kesterson's whereabouts through misleading Facebook messages. Law enforcement located and apprehended Pethtel and the woman approximately ten hours after the incident.
Investigators discovered Kesterson's body down an embankment. Pethtel, a convicted felon, was charged with voluntary manslaughter, two felony counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, felony failure to notify authorities of a death, and felony destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence. During his trial in November 2023, a jury found Tel Pethtel guilty of voluntary manslaughter and alteration and/or concealment of evidence. He pleaded guilty to the two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and being a persistent violator. The woman who was present at the scene was not publicly identified and did not face any criminal charges.
