[1] Albert Enstrom, 22; Andrew Johnson, 20; and Alfred Nelson, 17, were cousins working as ranch hands at a livestock operation near Pelican Point, a remote area on the western shore of Utah Lake.
On February 16, 1895, the three men attended a legal hearing in Lehi related to a property dispute involving Enstrom's stepfather, Harry Hayes.
Their families initially believed the men had traveled to Arizona to seek work, delaying the reporting of their disappearance to law enforcement.
Evidence suggested their bodies were loaded into a wagon, transported onto the frozen lake, and dumped through a hole cut into the ice.
The remoteness of Pelican Point and the lack of forensic capabilities at the time posed challenges for law enforcement, including Sheriff George Storrs of Provo.
[2][1] Initial suspicion fell on Oliver Slade of Lehi, who had previously evicted Enstrom's family from a nearby property over unpaid rent.
Slade also had a pending lawsuit against Harry Hayes for property damage, and the three men had attended the related hearing shortly before their disappearance.
Investigators speculated that Hayes and Tyril might have conspired to kill the men to prevent them from inheriting the ranch, which was held in the names of their mothers.
However, newly elected Sheriff George Storrs reviewed the case and expressed doubts about Hayes's guilt, describing the evidence as weak.
Wright had a history of cattle rustling and fraud, and Storrs linked him to items stolen from the ranch, including quilts, a Spencer rifle, and a wagon.
L. C. Peterson, an uncle of Alfred Nelson, believed Davis's confession matched details of the Pelican Point murders.