Major update in Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner murder case as cops give info on Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie link
POLICE in Utah have identified several persons of interest in the double homicide case of a newlywed couple who were gunned down at a campsite near Moab last summer.
Kylen Schulte, 24, and Crystal Turner, 38, were found dead in an irrigation ditch in the South Mesa area of the La Sal mountain range on August 18.
In a press release on Thursday, the Grand County Sherriff’s Office announced it had determined that the two women were killed four days earlier on Aug. 14, and had both been shot multiple times.
Evidence collected from the scene included the victims’ tent, and personal belongings found both inside and outside of their tent and vehicle. Blood, shell casings, bullet fragments, and video evidence from nearby properties were also gathered.
Who killed the newlyweds remains a mystery, as does a motive for their killings.
In its statement, the Grand County Sherriff’s Office said there was no sign of forcible sexual assault on either victim.
Investigators said it has multiple persons of interest on its radar, but so far no suspect or suspects have formally been identified.
Schulte’s aunt Bridget Calvert previously said the couple told friends that a “creepy guy” was making them uncomfortable in the days before their deaths.
The mysterious murders of Schulte and Turner have, in the months since, been speculatively linked to the disappearances, and eventual deaths, of van-life couple Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie.
NO PETITO-LAUNDRIE LINK
Police rubbished the speculation on Thursday, writing: “In the course of this investigation, there has been considerable conjecture that Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie were somehow involved in the double homicide.
“Upon investigation, the FBI and Florida Investigators have determined, based on electronic transmission evidence, that neither Petito nor Laundrie were involved in the case.”
The sheriff’s office then urged residents of Moab to be “careful about sharing information on social media.”
“Such information tends to be misinformed, inaccurate, and unhelpful to the criminal investigation, if not dangerous,” police added.
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Petito, 22, was found dead in Wyoming’s Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area on September 19. Investigators determined she had been strangled to death several weeks earlier, having last been seen alive on Aug. 24.
Laundrie, 23, was named a person of interest in the case soon after Gabby was reported missing on Sept. 11. He had returned home to Florida without her on Sept. 1 before vanishing himself on Sept. 13.
Skeletal remains belonging to Laundrie were recovered from a marshy area of a Florida nature reserve on October 21. Investigators later determined he had died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Earlier this week, investigators announced that Laundrie had claimed responsibility for Petito’s murder in a notebook found next to his remains.
Prior to their death, Petito and Laundrie had been in Moab on August 12, during a stop on their cross-country road trip, touring the US’ national parks.
They were stopped by law enforcement on Aug. 12 during a suspected domestic violence incident, but no charges were filed and the couple continued on their journey after a night of separation.
BRUSHING SHOULDERS?
Laundrie and Petito were caught arguing outside a Moab business where Schulte is believed to have worked as a cashier.
His father Sean-Paul Schulte previously questioned whether his daughter and Turner had played pool with Brian and Gabby at a local bar, called Woody’s Tavern, shortly before their deaths.
According to Sean-Paul, it was at Woody’s Tavern where Crystal and Kylen mentioned a “creepy” man to friends, with whom the couple allegedly were having issues.
Crystal and Kylen had said the man was giving them problems and told friends they were planning to move to a different campsite.
The pair were found dead days later on August 18 in the South Mesa area of the La Sal Mountains.
“We don’t know if it was him,” said Sean-Paul about the man Crystal played pool with. “It was a couple. A young couple.”
The investigation into the couple’s death remains active and ongoing, police said.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Grand County Sherriff’s Office at (435) 259-8115 or (435) 259-1397.
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