Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
Fifty-four years, two months and five days ago, William Bown’s oldest brother, Michael, woke up early to shave and get ready for his shift delivering bread to local stores. He remembers hoping to throw the football around with his brother when he got home, but Michael Bown never came home on that day. Instead, their mother arrived at the family home that afternoon, sobbing, accompanied by her boss. “I remember (her boss) telling me that Michael had been hurt. And then I heard my mom say something, but I couldn’t understand all of it — but it didn’t sound good, and I didn’t want to believe it,” William Bown said, pausing to collect his emotions, as he recalled the day he’s relived in his mind many times. Michael Bown, then just 23, was shot and killed in broad daylight during an apparent robbery he had stumbled upon while making deliveries in what is now Millcreek, on Sept. 2, 1971. Carolyn Kingston, a 31-year-old store clerk, was also shot that day, eventually dying from her injuries two years later. While William Bown, donning a pin with his brother’s face, knows exactly how long ago it was that his family’s world was “destroyed,” he still doesn’t know who did it or why. That’s why he and Salt Lake County sheriff’s authorities hope that rereleased photos of a “unique” Timex watch collected at the scene and a composite sketch of the man suspected in the case will finally give families the closure for which they’ve waited at least 54 years, two months and five days. The sheriff’s office released the photos again on Friday, saying the agency remains committed to solving the cold case. “If anybody has any information, this sketch could play a big part in your recollection,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera, adding that she hopes other resurfaced information about the case can jog people’s memories. “Fifty years is a long time, but there are still people with memories.” The shooting took place at Natter’s Market, a store located at 3065 S. 700 East at the time. Michael Bown and Kingston were each shot, while Kingston’s 4-year-old son — present at the time — was unharmed. Another bread delivery driver arrived right as the suspect was about to leave the store, and the shooter ordered him to the ground. The driver told investigators that he heard a few clicks, but the gun didn’t fire before the suspect fled, said Salt Lake County sheriff’s detective Ben Pender, reading off a summary of the case. The suspect, who ran south after leaving the store, was described as about 5-foot-7 or 5-foot-8 and 135 pounds, with dark, curly hair and “a good tan,” Pender said. He was “very clean-shaven” and wore a dark-colored knit T-shirt and dark-colored pants at the time of the attack. The last customer in the store before the attack also described seeing a “rundown or ratty” black or other dark-colored 1959 four-door Chevrolet Malibu near the south side of the store. The Timex watch was collected from the scene, and police believe it may have been dropped amid a struggle between the suspect and Kingston inside the store. Local news outlets heavily covered the case at the time, and a $1,000 reward was quickly put together by incensed residents, according to archived newspapers. The sheriff’s office also coordinated with the FBI in investigating the case, but it ultimately went cold. Authorities conducted tests on evidence collected from the scene over the years, but have yet to yield any new leads, Pender said. In a public letter, Kingston’s family says their world was also “shattered” over five decades ago. They say Kingston underwent multiple surgeries before she died at age 33, leaving behind two young sons. “Our mother was everything to us,” said Jerry, whose last name was not provided, one of Kingston’s sons. “We were so young when she was taken, but we’ve never stopped thinking about her or hoping that someone, somewhere, knows something that could help us find the man who did this.” Evolving technology may finally crack the case someday, Pender said, but he also pleaded with the person — or anyone else who may have been involved — to come forward because he’s sure that the case weighed “very heavily” on them for the past 54 years. Anyone with any information is urged to call the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at 385-468-9816. No tip is too small, authorities said. “We’re not going to give up on this case,” Pender said. “This has been a long time now, and we’re hoping people will come forward.”
