Photo: Find Gabby / Kylen Schulte / Facebook.com
Their families may finally get answers.
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Jan 25, 2022
Persons of interest have been identified in the double murders of Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner, the FBI have confirmed.
The investigation into death of the newlywed couple had unearthed some potential links to the death of Gabby Petito — who went missing during a road trip with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie.
Internet sleuths who had rigourously followed the Petito case had discovered "clues" that they believed suggested Laundrie was connected to the unsolved murders of Schulte and Turner.
The couple were found found shot dead in the South Mesa area of the La Sal Loop Road after going missing several days earlier — shortly after Laundrie and Petito, 22, had been in the area.
However, a local Sheriff had emphasized last year that this spread of the rumours would be “unhelpful to the criminal investigation, if not dangerous."
Now, the Sherrif has said that law enforcement "has persons of interest but has not yet identified a suspect."
Is Gabby Petito's death connected to Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner's murder?
Police have ruled out Brian Laundrie as a suspect in the deaths of Schulte and Turner, thus proving Petito's death is not linked to their murders.
The FBI released a statement on January 19 confirming, “the FBI and Florida investigators have determined, based on electronic transmission evidence, that neither Petito nor Laundrie were involved in this case."
In September, Utah police said they were investigating potential connection between the two high-profile cases that seem to have happened within weeks of each other.
Police did later clarify that the deaths were "not related" but that didn't stop people from pointing out Laundrie's connection to each case.
Here is why sleuth believed Brian Laundrie may have been involved in Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner's deaths.
Keys allegedly found where Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner may link to Brian Laundrie.
Online dectectives have claimed that a set of keys was found near Turner and Schulte's bodies with a membership card for a rock climbing gym attatched.
The keys were reportedly given to Schulte's father who turned them into the police after carrying out his own search of the area.
On Laundrie's Instagram, he once shared an image of him assisting a child at a rock climbing gym — where some claim he once worked.
We also know now that Laundrie returned home to Florida, from Utah, on August 17 — one day before Schulte and Turner's bodies were found — in order to empty out a storage unit.
At this time, Petito stayed in a hotel for several nights until Laundrie's return on August 24, instead of in the couple's van.
Some have implied this could be a sign that Laundrie's keys were missing and he returned home to pick up spares.
However, given that Schulte's father said he had turned over the keys to police, it is likely they have already been investigating their owner.
Equally, Petito may have stayed in the hotel for safety reasons in order to avoid sleeping in her van alone.
Yet, other details do connect Laundrie, Petito, Schulte and Turner — even if the information about the keys in incorrect.
Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie allegedly fought outside the store where Kylen Schulte works.
Weeks before she had been reported missing on August 12th, police were called to a domestic incident that occurred in front of the Moonflower food co-op in Moab, Utah where Petito and Laundrie were apparently fighting.
Schulte had worked as a cashier at Moonflower co-op for four years prior to her death. Kylen Schulte, 24, and Crystal Turner, 38, were found dead six days after Petito and Laundrie's police run-in.
No charges were issued after the incident but Petito and Laundrie reportedly told police that stress and undisclosed mental health issues had caused the argument.
Turner and Schulte went on a camping trip on August 13th, staying around the Moab, UT area but jumping from campsite to campsite.
Schulte and Turner were last seen leaving local bar Woody’s Tavern at around 8.30pm on that same day — the day after Laundrie and Petito had been separated following their fight.
Brian Laundrie was staying in a nearby motel on the night Schulte and Turner were last seen.
After police separated Laundrie and Petito, Laundrie was taken to check into the Bowen Hotel in Moab, a seven minute walk from Woody's Tavern.
It is unclear if anyone else saw Laundrie that night nor has the exact date of Schulte and Turner's death been released.
Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner were concerned about a 'creepy' man before their murder.
While they were at the bar, they had told friends that they were having issues with a man and planned to move to different campgrounds.
"They said they needed to move their campsite because of some creepy guy at their campsite," Schulte’s aunt, Bridget Calvert said to NBC News on Monday.
"These are outdoors girls, and they're independent and confident," she said, "And for somebody to make them feel uncomfortable, it had to be a very valid discomfort."
Soon after, friends and family stopped hearing from them altogether.
Unsealed search warrants filed in court this week said the newlywed couple were found by a friend partially undressed in a nearby creek with multiple gunshot wounds on August 18th.
August 24th, Petito and Laundrie were seen checking out of a hotel in Salt Lake City, UT.
Petito was last seen alive on August 27, by a witness who saw her arguing with Laundrie in a Wyoming restaurant not far from where her body was later discovered in Grand Teton National Park.
Gabby Petito's body was found in a similar manner to Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner.
Like the couple, Petito was discovered in a remote area near a creek, at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping.
Images allegedly taken at the scene where Petito was found holes in a nearby log. However, Petito's exact cause of death has not been released.
Images from inside Laundrie's North Port, Florida home suggest he owned a gun.
Kylen Schulte's father has rejected the idea that Brian Laundrie is involved in the murders.
“They have told us that Brian and Gabby were not involved in our case. We have no reason to dispute that,” Sean-Paul Schulte said.
“There is no point in continuing to waste time, energy, effort, news and press over Brian and Gabby."
Isaac Serna-Diez is a writer who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice and politics.