According to local news reports, a horrific tragedy struck a family and community near the town of Provo, Utah, on June 20. Then, a seemingly successful Utah businessman who was a married father with six children appears to have killed his wife in a murder-suicide. The man involved was Olin Johnson, 57, and he seemingly killed his wife Kerilyn Johnson, 52, inside their upscale American Fork home.
In a statement released on Friday, June 21, the American Fork Police Department said, local media station KSL reports, “Based on the investigation, it appears that Olin fatally shot Kerilyn before fatally shooting himself.” Chiming in, American Fork Police Lt. Stuart Fore said, “We’re not real sure what led up to it, but he shot her twice and then shot himself, ending his life.”
The local police then added, KSL reports, that the state Medical Examiner will need to finish investigating the incident before there can be a final disposition about what happened. “Investigators are waiting for final testing from the Utah (Office) of the Medical Examiner before a final disposition will be applied to the case,” police reportedly said.
The Utah OME website states, “The Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) was established in 1972 and is a division of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. The OME investigates deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent, suspicious, or unattended for the entire State of Utah. Our experienced staff will ensure that every death within our jurisdiction is handled with the utmost attention and professionalism, and we will strive to provide families, law enforcement agencies, the justice system, and our public health partners the highest standard of investigation and care.”
Just a week before the shocking double-murder, Mr. Johnson posted about his love of motorcycles and skiing on Facebook, as local media station 2KUTV reported. In the post, which was posted on June 18, he said, “No matter how crappy a person I am, motorcycles always love me back. Oh and skiing. Skiing loves me too.” The page on which he posted that is now private.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to provide for the six children of the deceased couple. It provides, “With the sudden passing of Olin and Kerilyn Lowe Johnson many are devastated and desire to show love and support to their six children as they navigate this tragedy. It is hoped that they would not need to shoulder the financial burden of paying for funeral expenses and other unexpected costs over the coming weeks and months.”
It continued, “The love many have for this family is immense. The Johnsons and Lowes need space to grieve, let’s rally support for them through this Go Fund Me. All donations given here will go directly to the Johnson children for any expenses surrounding the passing of their parents.” It then adds, “My name is Rebecca Oden and our families have been interlaced with Kerilyn and Olin Johnson for over 30 years. We will be using the funds raised on this account for the benefit of the Johnson children as they make funeral preparations. The funds will be given directly to the children. Thank you so much for your love and support at this time.”
Featured image credit: Facebook
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