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Suspect Identified in Double Murder of Newlywed Women Dies by Suicide

Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner
Kylen Schulte (L) and Crystal Turner

The bodies of Kylen Schulte and Crystal Beck Turner were found in August 2021 shortly after they told friends a man was lurking around their campsite.

@wgacooper
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Police have identified the person they believe is responsible for fatally shooting a newlywed couple in Utah last year.

Adam Pinkusiewicz, 45, is suspected of fatally shooting Kylen Schulte, 24, and Crystal Beck Turner, 38, according to a news release. Their bodies were found on August 18, 2021, in the La Sal Mountains of Grand County, Utah. They had been shot multiple times.

The suspect died by suicide on September 24, Grand County Sheriff Steve White told NBC News. Pinkusiewicz had worked at the same McDonald's in Moab, Utah as Turner, but it's unclear if they worked there at the same time.

Schulte and Turner had only been married for four months when they were killed. The couple had told friends that a "weirdo" had been around their campsite in the days leading up to their deaths.

Pinkusiewicz was around the area that the couple was camping in around the time of their murders, according to authorities. They said he left Utah shortly after the two were killed.

Before his death, police said Pinkusiewicz told someone that he "killed two women in Utah and provided specific details that were known only to investigators."

Schulte and Turner were last seen at a tavern in Moab the Saturday before their bodies were found, and they had called friends that night saying they were worried about "a weirdo camping near them that was freaking them out," according to social media posts at the time. They were planning to move to a different campsite.

When they didn't show up at their jobs, friends, family, and coworkers knew something was wrong. A friend went searching and discovered one body, then called sheriff's deputies, who found the second.

Grand County authorities said the investigation is still ongoing and that they have not closed the case. They've asked anyone with information about Pinkusiewicz or his 2007 Yaris to contact them.

If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned that someone you know may be, resources are available to help. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 is for people of all ages and identities.

@wgacooper
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