Utah
911 call from Utah couple’s son provides insight into parents’ murder-suicide: ‘Lot of drama’
The harrowing 911 call from the son of a Utah couple who found their bullet-ridden bodies has shed some light on what may have led up to the murder-suicide.
An audio recording of the eight-minute call obtained by ABC4 reveals that one of Olin and Kerilyn Johnson’s six children immediately suspected his father had shot dead his mother before killing himself.
“I think my dad killed my mom, but then he killed himself,” the unidentified son told a 911 dispatcher on June 20 at around 12:40 p.m.
“Are they beyond help?” the dispatcher calmly replied.
“I — yeah. Yes,” the shocked son answered, before telling the dispatcher there was a gun in the home.
Olin, 57, is suspected of shooting and killing his wife Kerilyn, 52, before turning the gun on himself inside their $1.34 million home in American Fork.
Investigators classified the deaths as a murder-suicide the next day.
“Have they been violent? Do they have a history of fighting or?” the dispatcher asked.
“No, but there’s been a lot of drama recently in the household. Just within the past four days,” the son answers.
He didn’t expand on what he meant by drama but said his father had served time for some kind of domestic dispute in the past.
“There was one instance of like a year or two ago that I think my mom, I don’t know, my dad was chucking stuff around the house. He had a — he went to jail for a little bit, but nothing, like, I don’t think like contact physically,” he said on the call.
The Mormon couple met in a college bookstore and had been married 32 years as of April. The dad proudly shared photos of his wife and kids on his social media pages.
But a couple days before the tragedy, Olin wrote a potentially worrisome caption next to a pic of himself on a motorcycle.
“No matter how crappy a person I am, motorcycles always love me back. Oh and skiing. Skiing loves me too,” Olin’s post on June 18 read alongside pictures of him riding his bike and skiing.
Two of his kids dispute his claims of being a “crappy person” in the comments.
Police have not revealed a motive in the shooting and are continuing their investigation.
Olin’s obituary described him as “always calm, thoughtful, kid and professional” with a “compassion for those in need” and a “constant source of calm and strength to his family.”
“As we cope with immense sorrow, mourning the loss of Kerilyn, our beautiful mother, daughter, and sister, we also mourn for Olin, despite his actions,” the joint obituaries state. “We are overwhelmed with love and support from the community and express our deepest appreciation and gratitude. If you or someone you love is in crisis, please reach out for help.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
Utah
Multiple earthquakes detected near Kanosh
KANOSH, Utah — The United States Geological Survey recorded multiple earthquakes near Kanosh Sunday morning, each of them having an average magnitude of 3.0.
The first earthquake, magnitude 3.0, was detected just after 12:30 a.m., with the epicenter located half a mile south of Kanarraville.
The second quake, magnitude 3.2, was detected around 5:45 a.m., with the epicenter nearly five miles south-southwest of Kanosh. This was followed by two more quakes in the same area, a magnitude 2.5 quake coming in around 6:35 a.m., followed by a third around 7:45 a.m, which measured at magnitude 3.3.
This has since been followed by another quake, measuring at magnitude 3.7, being detected around 8:45 a.m. The geographic location in the USGS report places the epicenter approximately over two miles south of the Dry Wash Trail, about six miles south-southwest of Kanosh.
FOX 13 News previously spoke with researchers at University of Utah, who said that earthquake swarms are relatively common. A study published in 2023 posits that swarms may be triggered by geothermal activity. The findings came after a series of seismic swarms were detected in central Utah, within the vicinity of three geothermal power plants.
The study also says that the swarms fall into a different category than aftershocks that typically follow large quakes, such as the magnitude 5.7 earthquake that hit the Wasatch Fault back in 2020.
Utah
Embattled Utah Rep. Trevor Lee loses county GOP convention — but wins enough support to make primary
Earlier in the week, House Speaker Mike Schultz said lawmakers asked the attorney general to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery against Lee.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, running for reelection, addresses delegates during the Davis County Republican Party nominating convention at Syracuse High School on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Utah
A new bar brings the Himalayas to the foot of Big Cottonwood Canyon
Also from Utah Eats: A Utah baker ends his run on a Food Network competition; Lucky Slice’s territory grows.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Yeti, a Himalayan-themed bar in Cottonwood Heights, is pictured on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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