TETON COUNTY, Idaho — Three men were indicted in April for their alleged connection to a murder plot targeting Teton County Sheriff and Magistrate Judge.
Parts of the case were made public on April 30 following a records request by EastIdahoNews.com. The heavily redacted indictment alleges that Javier Ortiz Lara, 63, Jose Noel Ortiz Salas, 39, and Anthony “TJ” Wilson, 33, conspired to kill Teton County Magistrate Judge Jason Walker and Sheriff Clint Lemieux between 2022 and 2023. No motive was cited.
The three men, along with Edgardo Soto, were also indicted for drug trafficking.
The documents state that two of the men “did travel to the state of California to pick up a firearm” in April 2023, with one of the suspects allegedly renting a truck for the trip. Court records also state that in April 2023, one or more of the men traveled to California and purchased 1.1 pounds of cocaine, brought it back to Idaho and sold it to an unknown person.
Ortiz Salas and Wilson are booked at the Jefferson County Jail on $1 million bonds. Ortiz Lara is currently serving a prison sentence at the Idaho State Correction Center in Boise on two counts of possession of a controlled substance, with a release date in July 2028.
Fifth District Judge Jonathan Brody, who serves Minidoka County, has been assigned the case; Teton County Idaho’s District 7 Judge Steven Boyce recused himself from the case. Lindsey Blake, the Fremont County prosecutor and a former deputy prosecutor for Teton County, who was part of the prosecution team for the Daybell cases, has been assigned to lead the case.
Arraignments for Ortiz Salas and Wilson are scheduled for May 15. If convicted, Ortiz Lara, Ortiz Salas and Wilson could face the death penalty. Soto could face up to life in prison.
