Interrogation leads to man confessing to murder
By Julian Paras
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TAOS, New Mexico (KOAT) — Rainor Joiner confessed to the Taos County Sheriff’s Office that he killed and mutilated 25-year-old Matthew McLaughlin in July.
Joiner explained that he brought McLaughlin to New Mexico to help him straighten his life out, as they had served in the military together. Joiner said McLaughlin was struggling with substances and had been bringing strangers to his house, which Joiner says he offered to McLaughlin.
As deputies were interviewing him, Joiner said this led to repeated requests for McLaughlin to clean up his act.
Joiner said he lost his temper after McLaughlin said something that angered him. “I was just so f—— pissed,” Joiner said. “I really don’t know what the f— he said. He said something, and I just f—— shot him.”
He then provided Taos County deputies with a timeline of events following the killing on July 25, stating that he dismembered McLaughlin’s body over the next few days and disposed of it near U.S. Highway 64.
Despite Joiner’s claim that the killing was not premeditated, officials indicated their investigation suggested otherwise.
David Degroat, charged as a co-conspirator in the murder, was also questioned by the sheriff’s office. Degroat claimed in a written statement that he tried to dissuade Joiner from killing McLaughlin several times and alleged that Joiner threatened to kill him if he did not assist.
“You had intentionally set yourself up in a position to shoot him, then you shot him. Then you went up to and shot two more times to finish the job,” one deputy said in the interview.
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