Officials Seek Public’s Help in Solving 54-Year-Old Cold Case

SALT LAKE CITY — It was the start of an ordinary workday when tragedy struck.

On Sept. 2, 1971, 33-year-old Carolyn Kingston had just begun her shift as a clerk at Natter’s Market. Around the same time, 23-year-old Michael Bown arrived to deliver bread.

Authorities believe Bown may have walked in on a robbery in progress. He was shot twice and died at the scene. The gunman then forced Kingston into a storage room, where he shot her in front of her 4-year-old son. Kingston survived the attack but passed away two years later from complications related to her injuries.

Now, more than five decades later, investigators are once again asking the public for help.

“Fifty years is far too long. These families deserve justice,” said Captain Dustin Fowler of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. “If anyone remembers anything, no matter how small, we want to hear from you.”

On Friday, relatives of both victims gathered for a press conference to share their ongoing grief and renew calls for information.

“Fifty-four years, two months, and five days have gone by since our world was shattered,” said Ron Bown, Michael’s brother. “I’ve replayed that day in my mind countless times, always wondering, ‘Why Mike? Why him?’ He was so loved and so needed.”

Officials urge anyone with information about the case to reach out to Detective Ben Pender at (385) 468-9816.

“We’re asking the public to come forward with any detail — even something that might seem insignificant,” said Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

During the briefing, Rivera read a statement from Kingston’s family:

“Our mother meant everything to us. We were so young when she was taken, but we’ve never stopped thinking about her. We still hold on to hope that someone, somewhere, knows something that can help us find the man responsible.”

(Source: KSL NewsRadio)