SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — In September 1971, Carolyn Yvonne Kingston and Michael Bowns were shot and killed during what police believe was a botched robbery at Natters Market, located at 3065 S. 700 East in South Salt Lake. The case has puzzled investigators for more than five decades.
Joe, a longtime resident of the area, remembers the market well from that time period.
"We had running accounts where you could just purchase your groceries and pay a monthly bill," Joe said. He remembers the original Natters family who owned the market until it was purchased by the polygamous Kingston family.
The location where the murders occurred is now an untamed lot, but Detective Ben Pender with the Cold Case Squad at the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office continues to work the case. Recent technological advances have given investigators new hope.
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During the struggle with Carolyn, detectives say the killer lost his watch, and it may yet yield DNA evidence using modern forensic techniques.
"Technology is changing," Pender said.
The statistics surrounding unsolved homicides paint a sobering picture. Nationally, just under 60% of reported homicide cases were solved in 2023. In that same year, there were about 18,500 homicides in the United States, with about 10,600 of those solved.
Utah saw 3,056 homicides between 1965 and 2023, with 833 of them remaining unsolved.
Anyone with information that might help solve the Natters Market Murders is encouraged to contact Pender at 385-468-9816.
