A wealthy Mormon father posted a chilling final message on Instagram before gunning down his wife in their stunning $1.5 million home in Utah.
Olin Johnson, 57, of American Fork, Utah, shot and killed his wife Kerilyn Johnson, 52, before turning the gun on himself. The tragedy left six children orphaned.
In his last social media post on Wednesday, just a day before his suicide, Johnson wrote: “No matter how bad a person I am, motorcycles always love me.” Oh, and skiing. I love skiing too.’
Johnson could be seen wearing his helmet while sitting on his Triumph motorcycle, one of his favorite pastimes.
Two of his children responded directly to their father’s post.
Olin Johnson, 57, of American Fork, Utah, shot and killed his wife Kerilyn Johnson, 52, before turning the gun on himself.
In his last social media post on Wednesday, just a day before his suicide, Johnson wrote: “No matter how bad a person I am, motorcycles always love me.” Oh, and skiing. I love skiing too.’
Two of his children, son Dillon Bay and daughter Savanna, responded directly to their father’s post telling him how much they loved him.
The couple’s bodies were discovered by family members at 12:40 p.m. Thursday in their $1.5 million home in American Fork, Utah.
‘You’re not a bad person. “You are the best father in the world,” wrote one of his sons, Dillon Bay.
‘I love you dad and I love that you taught me to be a tough guy and ride a motorcycle!’ daughter, Savanna added.
No motive has yet been given for the murder-suicide and it is unclear whether the Instagram post was a reference to marital problems.
Online, Olin seemed to love his family. “Father of 6 fantastic children and a beautiful wife,” he wrote on his Instagram profile.
The couple seemed to have it all, especially their impressive family home located in rural Utah.
His social media pages are evidence of a life well lived, spending a lot of time with his children, some of whom were married.
The couple also sought to take some time for themselves, enjoying some alone time away from family as they embarked on vacations in Europe, Australia and other parts of the United States. The outdoors was always a priority for the couple.
While Olin focused on his businesses and outdoor activities, particularly biking and skiing, his wife, Kerilyn, loved to cook, spend time with their children, and even took to the stage singing in musicals with local amateur theater companies. .
But behind the screens, he appeared to have been on a rampage, although the reason for his shocking act of violence is currently unknown.
The couple appears surrounded by their six children, along with other family members.
To the outside world, the couple appeared to be in a loving relationship in which they traveled together and participated in outdoor activities.
Police rushed to the scene of the sprawling family home shortly after 12:40 pm on Thursday after receiving reports that two people had been shot after another family member discovered the bodies.
“Based on the investigation, it appears that Olin fatally shot Kerilyn before committing suicide,” American Fork police said in a statement.
“We’re not really sure what led up to this, but he shot her twice and then shot himself, ending his life,” American Fork Police Lt. Stuart Fore said.
Olin and Kerilyn Johnson are pictured with two of their youngest children on a walk.
Kerilyn seemed to be a good cook while supporting her family of eight.
Fore also said there were no signs of a struggle or argument before the murders.
He did not go into further details about the crime scene.
‘At this point the family requests privacy as they mourn their loss. “We express our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Olin and Kerilyn,” the American Fork Police Department said in a statement, later calling the two deaths a murder-suicide.
“Kerilyn was literally one of the most generous, kind, caring people I have ever met,” said Gayle Lockwood, a retired Bringham Young University voice professor who had Johnson as a student.
“She is a light the world will miss,” Lockwood said. KUTV.
Olin loved to hit the road and ride his Triumph motorcycle.
Johnson’s work involving the construction of shooting ranges also led him to acquire a large collection of weaponry, much of which was also photographed and displayed on his Instagram account.
Kerilyn Johnson was a voice coach and singing teacher at BYU, mentoring hundreds of people throughout Utah County.
“My hope is that people continue to think and pray for his family,” Lockwood said. “These children are going to need a lot of love and support for a long time.”
Kerilyn’s husband, Olin Johnson, ran his own company, Simtek Modular, which specializes in manufacturing small arms ranges that can be used for training by the military and police.
Olin was also known to be an outdoor enthusiast and loved mountaineering, rock climbing, caving, mountain biking, and dirt bikes.
His work related to the construction of shooting ranges also allowed him to acquire a large collection of weapons, much of which was also photographed and displayed on his Instagram account.
TO GoFundMe has been created for the six Johnson children who were left behind. All six range in age from adolescence to adulthood.