Same-sex couple shot dead on camping trip were murdered by drifter, police say as case closed
Crystal Michelle Turner, 38, and Kylen Carrol Schulte, 24, were found fatally shot near their Utah campsite on 18 August 2021. (YouTube/FOX 13 News Utah, Courtesy: Bridget Calvert)
Police have named the man they believe killed a newlywed couple who were fond shot dead after complaining about a “creepy weirdo”.
Crystal Michelle Turner, 38, and Kylen Carrol Schulte, 24, were found shot dead on 18 August in Grand County, Utah.
The couple, who had married four months earlier, had been on a camping trip when they went missing.
Police believe that 45-year-old drifter Adam Pinkusiewicz killed them before taking his own life a few weeks later.
It had been suggested that Turner and Schulte may have been killed in a homophobic attack.
But according to investigators, Pinkusiewicz was in a same-sex relationship himself, and had discussed details of the crime with a man he had been dating.
According to investigators, Pinkusiewicz had “extreme signs of racism” on his phone, as well as fantasies about rape and murder.
The couple’s bodies were discovered by a friend who went looking for them after they didn’t return from their camping trip.
Before they went missing, the couple contacted friends to complain about a “creepy camper” who was unnerving them, and repeatedly brought him up on the day they went missing.
Police believe they were referring to Pinkusiewicz, who died by suicide in an Iowa motel on 24 September.
After his death he was not immediately connected with the murders. As a result, some evidence was destroyed.
Schulte’s aunt, Bridget Calvert, told Fox 13 that the two women had gotten married just four months ago and were well-loved by the local community. She described her niece as someone who was always positive.
“Her having such a beautiful soul, to see it complimented with someone like Crystal – that they could really enjoy life and do it together,” Calvert said.
The case is now considered closed.
