Early Life

• Born in 1981 in Minnesota, John Thomas McGuire grew up in a close-knit family. He was known for his kind-hearted nature and willingness to help others.
• He had a passion for mechanics and spent much of his free time fixing cars and motorcycles.

Personal Life

• John was a devoted father and stayed in close contact with his children and extended family.
• He was known as a hard worker, taking on various jobs in construction and repair work.

Later Years

• In early 2019, John became involved in a relationship with Amanda McClure.
• Struggling with financial instability, he traveled to West Virginia with Amanda to seek temporary housing with her biological father, Larry McClure.

Tragic End

• On February 14, 2019, John was brutally murdered by Larry McClure, Amanda McClure, and Anna Choudhary.
• His death was part of a horrific crime that included torture, drug use, and an attempt to cover up the murder.
• His remains were discovered in September 2019 after Larry McClure confessed to the crime.

In early 2019, John McGuire and his girlfriend, Amanda McClure, were living in Minnesota, heavily addicted to methamphetamine. Without steady jobs, their money quickly ran out—and when the money was gone, so were the drugs.

Desperate and struggling through withdrawal, Amanda had an idea: they could travel to West Virginia and stay with her biological father, Larry McClure Sr. Amanda had been estranged from Larry for most of her life, having been raised by adoptive parents. Why she sought him out instead of them remains unclear—perhaps out of shame for her addiction, or fear that they would force her into sobriety. Her past was already riddled with bad decisions, reflected in a 32-page rap sheet filled with drug-related arrests, but this choice would prove to be the worst.

The Journey to West Virginia

In early February 2019, John and Amanda set out for West Virginia. However, their journey came to a halt when their car broke down in Indiana. Stranded with no way forward, Amanda called Larry for help.

Larry then contacted his other daughter, Anna Choudhary, who had also been estranged from him for years and was living in North Carolina. Now, after years apart, all three would reunite.

Larry and Anna drove to Indiana, picked up the couple, and brought them back to Larry’s rural trailer near Skygusty, West Virginia.

Once there, they attempted to manufacture their own methamphetamine. Lacking the correct formula, the batch failed to crystallize. Dismissing it as a “bad batch,” they stored the liquid drug in glass jugs. Instead of trying again, they simply bought real meth and resumed their binging.

A Dangerous Tension Builds

As the days passed and the four remained in a constant drug-fueled haze, John expressed his love for Amanda and his intention to marry her. Instead of being happy for his daughter, Larry reacted with quiet anger.

Anna later described her father as slipping into a “quiet rage” following John’s confession. Over the next few days, Larry frequently took Amanda aside for private conversations. Anna never asked what they discussed, but the tension in the house grew increasingly uncomfortable.

Then came Valentine’s Day.

John bought a bottle of wine for a special dinner, and the group shared steaks before indulging in another round of meth.

The “Trust Game”

That evening, as they sat in the living room, Larry suggested they play a “trust game.” The rules were simple: John would allow Larry to tie his legs to a kitchen chair.

John agreed.

The moment his legs were bound, the game turned sinister. Larry’s expression shifted, and Anna recalled a “creepy” smile spreading across his face.

Sensing danger, John tried to free himself. As he leaned down to untie his legs, Amanda smashed the empty wine bottle over his head, shattering it.

They tied up John’s arms, and Larry began an interrogation:

“Who are you?”

John, confused and frightened, insisted he was just John McGuire. He even offered his Social Security card as proof.

Larry didn’t accept that answer. Instead, he accused John of being a federal agent. When John refused to “confess,” the three took turns beating him.

At one point, Larry instructed Anna to inject John with the failed batch of meth, calling it a “truth serum.” Anna filled two syringes and injected the liquid directly into John’s carotid artery.

She later said she thought it would kill him.

It didn’t.

Instead, John continued denying the accusation, while the trio continued torturing him.

The Murder

After two or three days of torment, they decided it was time to end John’s life.

Larry stood on John’s chest while Amanda placed a trash bag over his head. As John struggled for air, Anna strangled him with a rope.

Once he was dead, they wrapped his body in more trash bags. Larry then ordered his daughters to dig a shallow grave near the trailer, where they buried John.

A Twisted Relationship

Immediately after the murder, Larry and Amanda entered what Anna later described as a “relationship.” According to the criminal complaint filed by West Virginia police, it was sexual.

Anna and Amanda hadn’t been raised by their biological father—and there was a dark reason why.

Larry had recently been released from prison after serving more than 17 years for sexually abusing a young relative between the ages of 6 and 12. While the identity of his victim remains undisclosed, both Anna and Amanda were in that age range at the time of his crimes.

Both daughters would later testify that Larry had been intensely jealous of Amanda. Amanda herself admitted:

“My dad didn’t want anyone else near me.”

It is likely that Larry had manipulated Amanda into believing John was an informant, using meth-induced paranoia to convince her to go along with his plan.

Desecrating the Body

Even after John was dead and buried, their paranoia didn’t fade.

Six days later, the trio became convinced that John wasn’t really dead. They dug up his body, drove wooden stakes and other debris through him, and then dismembered him before re-burying the remains in a side yard.

A Disturbing Marriage

Less than a month after the murder, Larry and Amanda took their “relationship” to the next level—they drove to Virginia and got married.

Anna served as a witness.

Because incestuous marriage is illegal in Virginia, Amanda forged her marriage license, writing a fake name in place of her father’s.

Meanwhile, John’s family had no idea what had happened to him. By June, they reported him missing and began posting on Facebook, searching for answers.

Amanda, now living as Larry’s “wife,” continued cashing John’s Social Security checks.

The Arrest

At some point, the McClures relocated to Kentucky, where Larry, as a convicted sex offender, was required by law to register. He didn’t.

When he was arrested in September 2019 for failing to register, Larry wasted no time confessing.

But he didn’t just confess—he threw his own daughters under the bus, claiming Amanda was the “mastermind” behind the crime. He insisted he had no idea why she wanted John dead.

He provided authorities with every detail of the murder, including the location of John’s remains.

On September 24, 2019, investigators unearthed John’s body exactly where Larry said it would be.

The Sentencing

Days later, in October, Amanda and Anna were arrested.

Larry and Anna were charged with first-degree murder. Amanda, in exchange for testifying against her sister, was charged with second-degree murder. All three pled guilty.

Larry, the first to confess, wrote a letter stating he didn’t want the courts “waisting” taxpayer money on a trial. He was sentenced to life without parole in August 2020.

At Amanda’s sentencing in October 2020, she testified about her father’s jealousy and control over her. The judge acknowledged her history of abuse but ruled that it was no excuse. Amanda was sentenced to 40 years.

At Anna’s sentencing in March 2021, she claimed she had only participated out of fear that Larry would kill her and her children. She, too, was sentenced to 40 years.

Conclusion

The murder of John McGuire was a chilling combination of addiction, manipulation, and deep-seated trauma. Larry McClure Sr., a man with a history of sexual abuse, used drugs and fear to control his daughters—leading to a horrific crime that ultimately destroyed three lives and ended one.

John’s family never saw justice in the way they hoped, but at least his killers will spend the rest of their

2019: The Murder and Initial Investigation

July 22, 1998

• Larry McClure wa charged of first-degree sexual assault for abusing a family member between the ages of 6 and 12

Following his arrest: 

• Larry McClure lost custody of his two daughters when they were children due to a prior SO conviction. Amanda McClure was 9 years old when her father was convicted and her sister was 10.
• According to the West Virginia State Police sex offender registry, McClure was convicted in July 1998 of first-degree sexual assault of a minor and served approximately 17 and a half years in prison.
• Following his incarceration, Amanda McClure and Anna Choudhary were adopted by another family.
• About six months before John McGuire’s murder, McClure reestablished contact with his daughters.

Early February 2019:

• John McGuire and his girlfriend, Amanda McClure, travel from Minnesota to Skygusty, West Virginia, to visit Amanda’s biological father, Larry McClure.
• Their car breaks down in Indiana, and Amanda calls Larry for help. Larry and his other daughter, Anna Choudhary, drive from North Carolina to pick them up and bring them to Larry’s trailer in West Virginia.

February 14, 2019 (Valentine’s Day):

• On Valentine’s Day, Larry McClure suggested playing a “trust game,” during which John was tied up under the pretense of the game.
• John McGuire is attacked by Larry McClure, Amanda McClure, and Anna Choudhary.
• He is struck on the head with a wine bottle, tied up, injected with methamphetamine, and strangled.
• His body is initially buried in a shallow grave behind Larry McClure’s residence.
• Days later, fearing he was not dead, the trio digs up the body, drives stakes through it, dismembers it, and reburies the remains in a side yard.

February 15, 2019

• On February 15, the day after authorities believe McGuire was killed, several posts appeared on his Facebook page. The messages were unsettling. The first read, “Job completed, the Firefox is dead. Hahaha! The Mad Hatter.” A second post contained more laughter, while a third issued a chilling warning: “You all are (expletive) just like Firefox, and you will all end up the same way. Hahaha.”

March 11, 2019:

• Larry McClure and his daughter Amanda travel to Tazewell County, Virginia, where they are married by a Methodist minister.
• The marriage license falsely lists someone else as Amanda’s biological father to conceal their incestuous relationship.
• Amanda continues cashing John McGuire’s Social Security checks.

June 2019:

• John McGuire’s family reports him missing after not hearing from him for months. 

September 18, 2019:

• 12:00 AM Larry McClure is arrested in Kentucky for failing to register as a sex offender and booked into
  

September 24, 2019:

• While being interrogated, he confesses to the murder of John McGuire.
• He provides investigators with details of the crime and the burial site.
• Authorities recover John McGuire’s remains from the backyard of Larry’s trailer.

October 2019:

• Larry McClure, Amanda McClure, and Anna Choudhary are arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy, and Concealment of a Deceased Human Body.

November 4, 2019:

• Larry McClure writes a letter to court officials detailing the roles he and his daughters played in the murder, expressing a desire to avoid trial and pleading for mercy.

2020: Guilty Pleas and Sentencing

July 8, 2020:

• Larry McClure pleads guilty to First-Degree Murder in McDowell County Circuit Court.

July 27, 2020:

• Amanda McClure pleads guilty to Second-Degree Murder.

August 14, 2020:

• Larry McClure is sentenced to life in prison without mercy.

October 1, 2020:

• Amanda McClure is sentenced to 40 years in prison.

2021: Final Sentencing

January 28, 2021:

• Anna Marie Choudhary pleads guilty to Second-Degree Murder and gives a detailed account of the murder during her plea hearing.

March 31, 2021:

• A sentencing hearing is held for Anna Marie Choudhary in McDowell County Circuit Court.

April 1, 2021:

• Anna Marie Choudhary is sentenced to 40 years in prison, the maximum penalty for her charge.

A father who pleaded guilty to torturing and murdering his daughter’s boyfriend with the help of his children was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole Thursday in McDowell County Circuit Court.

Larry Paul McClure Sr., 55, of Pendleton, Kentucky, was convicted of first-degree murder in the February 2019 killing of 38-year-old John Thomas McGuire of Minnesota.

McClure’s daughter, Amanda Michelle Naylor McClure, 31, of Chisago City, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in July. Another daughter, Anna Marie Choudhary, 32, of Boone, North Carolina, also faces first-degree murder charges in connection with McGuire’s death.

McGuire’s remains were discovered on September 24, 2019, buried in a shallow grave at a residence in Skygusty, West Virginia.

A Mother’s Grief

McGuire’s mother, Karen Smith of Opelika, Alabama, sat in the front pew of the courtroom as the hearing began. Judge Ed Kornish, acknowledging the disturbing nature of the case, offered her the option to step outside.

“I need to know what’s going on,” Smith responded as a summer storm rumbled outside the courthouse.

“He’s talking to me,” she later whispered to those seated beside her, referring to her deceased son.

A Life of Crime

During sentencing, McClure’s defense attorney, Marcia Hebb, noted that he had previously served 17 and a half years in prison for sexual assault. She said McClure did not seek mercy in his sentencing, stating that he felt safer in a prison environment.

Judge Kornish revealed that McClure had requested protective custody in prison, claiming both of his daughters were affiliated with gangs—the Hell’s Angels and the Mongols.

McClure admitted to his role in McGuire’s murder but attempted to shift blame to his daughter Amanda. “My daughter is the one who had the contract on him, not me,” he told the court.

The murder only came to light when McClure was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender. He then confessed to the crime.

“I thank him for that,” Smith said, speaking from the gallery. “For letting me bring my son home.”

The Crime Unfolds

Judge Kornish recounted the events leading up to McGuire’s brutal murder, with McClure confirming details along the way.

McClure had been estranged from his daughters before reconnecting with them. Anna, who lived in North Carolina, joined him on a trip to Indiana to pick up Amanda and McGuire, who were experiencing drug withdrawal. They all returned to Skygusty, where things remained calm for about 10 days.

On the morning of February 14, 2019, Amanda approached her father, declaring that she wanted McGuire dead.

“She said she needed things like rope,” Judge Kornish noted.

Prior to the murder, the family had traveled to Virginia to buy supplies for cooking methamphetamine.

During the hearing, McClure revealed that his daughter Anna had a previous relationship with McGuire, resulting in a child—a fact Amanda had been unaware of.

After learning about the child, both sisters allegedly conspired to kill McGuire.

McClure described the horrifying details of the attack.

McGuire had purchased a bottle of wine for Amanda on Valentine’s Day. That same night, he was struck in the head with the bottle, tied up, injected with liquid methamphetamine, and later strangled.

“A black garbage bag was wrapped around his head by Amanda,” McClure stated. “Anna strangled him … I held him.”

McGuire endured “two to three days of hell,” McClure admitted, before finally succumbing to his injuries.

On the morning of February 16, the family buried his body in a two-foot grave behind the house.

Just six days later, they exhumed the corpse, dismembered it, and reburied it with lime.

As these grim details were revealed in court, Smith, overcome with emotion, left the room.

No Remorse

Judge Kornish referenced McClure’s psychological evaluation, which found that he lacked remorse for his actions.

“There’s been three drug addicts taken off the streets,” McClure said coldly. “There’s been three murderers taken off the streets. I do believe in God. I believe everything happens for a reason … But I can’t go back and take something back.”

Though estranged from his daughters for years, McClure claimed he committed the crime in part to maintain their relationship.

“You also made a conscious choice to help your daughters kill,” Kornish reminded him, emphasizing that McGuire endured three days of unimaginable suffering before he was killed.

McClure then attempted to deflect blame, comparing Amanda to “the female Charles Manson.”

Turning to face Smith, McGuire’s grieving mother, he muttered, “I apologize, ma’am.”

A Disturbing Family Dynamic

Court records obtained in 2019 exposed an incestuous relationship between McClure and Amanda.

West Virginia State Police documents revealed that Larry and Amanda engaged in sexual intercourse at the Skygusty residence.

Just three and a half weeks after the murder, the two crossed state lines into Virginia, where they were married on March 11, 2019.

To conceal their biological connection, Amanda listed another man as her father on the marriage license.

A Mother’s Fury

Before sentencing, Smith was given the opportunity to address the court.

“I forgive you because my God tells me to, but I’ll never forget,” she said, standing before McClure.

She recounted her last conversation with her son, in which he ominously told her he might not make it home.

“You and your two kids are going straight to hell!” she exclaimed. “To marry your own daughter—that’s low-down.”

She then delivered her final words to McClure.

“In my book, all three of you need to die! You don’t deserve to be on this earth breathing … I’m gonna live to see you or one of your kids die before I go … Who gave y’all the right to play God?”

A Family Destroyed

McGuire’s children also submitted emotional letters to the court, expressing their anguish.

His eldest daughter, Justice McGuire, wrote, “One of the most important things for me was to have my dad see me graduate and walk me down the aisle when I got married, but now I will never be able to have any of that!”

His 16-year-old son, Jacob, expressed his rage. “I am really mad and would personally like to see them die the same way my dad did.”

His youngest daughter, Jenisis, conveyed her heartbreak, saying that all she had left of her father was his ashes in a necklace.

“You ruined my entire life,” she wrote.

Justice Delivered

Before issuing his final ruling, Judge Kornish spoke directly to McClure.

“I find you and your two daughters committed one of the most heinous crimes in this county’s history,” he declared. “You tortured this man for three days before you killed him.”

The judge emphasized McGuire’s prolonged suffering and how McClure not only participated in his murder but helped conceal the crime.

“This was not a single violent act—it was a conscious decision,” Kornish stated before sentencing McClure to life without mercy.

McClure, showing no visible emotion, made one final remark.

“I hope this same judgment comes when both of my daughters are sentenced,” he said, before casting doubt on their stability.

“After his (McGuire’s) death, I watched them. It was like two raging dogs. I wouldn’t trust them around nothing.”

McDowell County Prosecuting Attorney Emily Miller represented the state in the case.