Murder plot leads to resentencing for Idaho man, appeal to state Supreme Court

The defendent, Andrew Larson, has filed an appeal for his case to the Idaho Supreme Court after being sentenced for criminal conspiracy. | Darin Oswald, Idaho Statesman BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — A man’s plot to kill his girlfriend’s lover has led to lessons about Idaho law, an education on sentencing and an appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court. In December 2023, Andrew Larson took action to kill the man his girlfriend had been seeing on the side, law enforcement and prosecutors said. That woman, Rachel Young, 24, also was involved in the plan to drive to the victim’s house in Boise with the intent of carrying out a fatal shooting with the 36-year-old Marsing man, according to court records. Young took a plea deal on two felony charges — aggravated assault and an enhancement for use of a deadly weapon — and was sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison. Larson’s criminal conspiracy case featured more drama, even though he and Young didn’t go through with the plan. He was found guilty, and then had to be resentenced after a problem was identified with the judge’s original decision. Now he’s appealing to the state’s highest court with a variety of complaints about the trial — a trial he said he didn’t think would happen because he thought the whole proceeding was “a joke.” “People are saying things that I am not regretful for actions and what happened. That is just not true,” Larson said in court. “I’ve taken the accountability for everything I did other than intending to commit murder, and I’m standing my ground on that.” Larson and Young drove from Marsing to Boise to the victim’s home in the early hours of Dec. 18, 2023, according to previous Statesman reporting and the criminal complaint. The two brought with them two loaded pistols and two loaded assault-style weapons, the complaint said. Beforehand, Larson sent the victim messages from Young’s phone stating his intent to harm and kill him, according to the complaint, and when the couple arrived at the victim’s home, they called him, knocked on the door and threw rocks at his window. A roommate overheard the commotion and called the authorities, and Boise Police Department officers responded before any violence transpired. Trial and sentencing for conspiracy to commit murder An Ada County jury found Larson guilty in April 2025. “This was a calculated and deeply disturbing plan to take another person’s life,” Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts stated in a news release. “Thanks to the swift actions of law enforcement and the courage of the victim’s roommate, this plan was stopped before anyone was hurt.” In his original sentencing, on June 26, Larson was given up to 30 years in prison, with a minimum of 10 before being eligible for parole. Almost a week later, the prosecuting team went to 4th District Judge Lynn Norton, who presided over the case, with an issue. Prosecutors had met with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and confirmed that Larson’s crime required a life sentence. In Idaho, the punishment for criminal conspiracy must be the same as if the person actually committed the crime associated with the conspiracy, according to state code and a hearing on July 1 that led to a corrected sentence. The punishment for first-degree murder is a life sentence, with a determination of whether 10 years or more is the minimum fixed time. In Larson’s case, he still will have the possibility of parole after serving 10 years. “I wish there was a way in which the court could stick to the sentence that was originally imposed, but I think that the statute on its face is straightforward,” Larson’s attorney, Edwina Elcox, said during the July 1 hearing. The defense argued that the situation was more complicated than prosecutors laid out, and that Larson’s only plan was to leave Young at the victim’s door and drive away. The defense also said that night’s activity was Larson’s reaction to feeling “betrayed” in his relationship. Elcox said Young told two police officers that they “never actually intended to hurt” the other man. “I think that we can all understand that a deep heartbreak — and this isn’t to excuse Andrew’s decisions that night — but I think that we can all understand the deep heartbreak that comes along with being betrayed by somebody that you love and care about,” Elcox said in court. Jail calls reveal defendant’s reference to case as a ‘joke’ Ada County prosecuting attorney Dylan Asbury argued that Larson could have caused a tragic night had police not arrived. “What we do know is that Larson had set the stage for someone to get murdered,“ Asbury said at the sentencing hearing. Asbury also said Larson “manipulated and controlled” Young, and now blames her for the crime. During jail calls played in court, Larson called the case a “joke,” and Asbury said Larson lacks “the comprehension regarding his complicity in this case.” “I made faces during the mugshot because I thought this was a joke and there’s no way they would actually charge me for conduct like this,” Larson said during one jail call, according to Asbury. Larson’s defense team filed an appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court on Aug. 21 citing several complaints, including that Young’s plea deal was improperly referenced in court; the cross-examination of Young was limited; and the judge improperly denied Larson a new trial.The post Murder plot leads to resentencing for Idaho man, appeal to state Supreme Court appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com