In the early morning hours of June 22, 2017, the life of 47-year-old Richelle “Shelly” Horsley, a White female, was tragically cut short in what police would later describe as a murder-suicide. The quiet of a Taylorsville, Utah neighborhood, part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, was shattered by the sound of gunshots around 6:35 a.m. near an apartment complex in the area of 2500 West Dutch Draw Drive.
When officers from the Unified Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered a grim tableau in a back alleyway.
Horsley was found inside her blue Hyundai Elantra, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Her vehicle had been crashed into by a tan Chevrolet Equinox. A short distance away, about 100 yards from the crash site, law enforcement located the body of 49-year-old Fransiska Dastrup. Dastrup was deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and a handgun was found near her body. Investigators quickly identified Dastrup as the suspect in Horsley's death.
The investigation revealed a troubled history between the two women, who had been in a romantic relationship that had recently ended. Police confirmed that they had been called to the residence for domestic-type disturbances on multiple occasions, with one such call occurring less than 24 hours before the fatal encounter. The situation had escalated to the point that just a week prior, on June 15, Horsley had sought legal protection and filed for a protective order against Dastrup. The petition was scheduled for a court hearing in early July, a date Richelle Horsley would never see.
