A Montana man is going to federal prison for life in his role in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the deaths of two people near Bridgeport, California.
Cory Spurlock was convicted in September 2025 of killing two individuals and was also found guilty on firearm and large-scale marijuana trafficking charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors said Spurlock was part of an illegal marijuana distribution operation based in Mound House, Nev. The investigation began after Jered Stefansky went missing during a marijuana transaction in June 2020.
Stefansky had traveled from Redding, California, to Mound House to pick up a large amount of cash. Spurlock became a person of interest in the case after detectives found that the last call from Stefansky’s cell phone was to a number associated with Spurlock.
In late September 2020, Stefansky’s mother appeared on a podcast discussing her son’s disappearance and naming individuals he was involved with, including Spurlock and another man, Will Larsen. Prosecutors say Spurlock listened to the podcast and became convinced that Larsen, his business partner, was cooperating with authorities.
Federal officials said Spurlock then orchestrated a plan to kill Larsen, promising payment to a co-conspirator for assistance. In November 2020, Spurlock traveled to Nevada and California with two co-conspirators, stalking Larsen and his wife throughout the Reno and Carson City areas.
The group later followed the couple to a secluded area outside Bridgeport, murdering them. Authorities found their remains along U.S. Highway 395.
The jury also convicted Spurlock of robbery for stealing money from Larsen’s wallet after the killings. Investigators found Stefansky’s remains in March 2021 at the Rye Patch Recreation Area in Pershing County.
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