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Idaho Falls (EastIdahoNews.com) — The body of a woman stabbed to death and buried in her backyard was recovered late Monday afternoon and her boyfriend is charged with first-degree murder.
Kaylynn Blue, 33, was killed sometime late Saturday or early Sunday morning, according to Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson. Philip Schwab, 33, is accused of the crime and has been booked into the Bonneville County Jail.
“It is a disturbing scene. I think everyone who went back there was very disturbed by it,” Johnson told EastIdahoNews.com. “It’s one of the more brutal crimes we’ve seen.”
Police were led to Blue’s home on the 3000 block of Thayer Bridge Circle west of the Bonneville County Fairgrounds Monday around 9 a.m. after she had not shown up to work at Walgreens for two days. Co-workers contacted her family members and they called Idaho Falls Police requesting a welfare check.
Officers went to the home and Schwab answered the door. He then led police to the backyard where Blue was buried in a shallow grave in a flower patch, according to Johnson.
“The officers noticed some blood (in the house) and thought there might be a more serious crime scene,” Johnson said. “They knew pretty quickly it was more than your standard check for welfare.”
Schwab was taken into custody and spoke with detectives most of the day as multiple officers descended on a normally peaceful retirement community. Schwab and Blue lived with Schwab’s mother, who has not been home for several days.
Johnson said Schwab stabbed Blue multiple times inside the home and then took her body to the backyard. Sometime later, he’s accused of stabbing two dogs in the garage and putting them in a garbage bin. At this point, Johnson said a motive is unclear.
“I can’t imagine why you’d kill anyone or anything. That’s a tough one. I just can’t answer that question,” he said.
Schwab was a volunteer at the Idaho Falls Zoo and has no violent criminal record. He posted hundreds of disturbing messages on his Facebook page over the past few days.
“ If stabbing people was wrong I don’t want to be right!” one post reads.
Another says, “What would I be doing with a shovel, b****??”
“How to get away with murder…twice,” reads another, along with “She deserved quicker.”
Johnson said police are investigating the Facebook posts, along with anything that may have caused Schwab to allegedly commit the crime. Detectives flew a drone over the backyard to help map out where to dig and get a clearer picture of the crime scene.
“She was maybe in the ground a better part of 24 hours or so,” he said. “There’s not a violent history between them. This is kind of an unusual event as far as we can tell – just a real strange set of circumstances, really traumatic.”
Blue listed her relationship status on Facebook as engaged. Her profile shows she was from Littleton, Colorado and met Schwab in 2012 before moving to Idaho Falls four years later. Schwab’s Facebook profile lists his homeplace as Spokane, Washington. Both were students at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado, according to their pages.
Detectives say no one else was involved in the death and Schwab is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday.
Brittany Kochar, Blue’s sister, released a statement expressing her sadness.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I announce the passing of my sister Kaylynn Blue,” Kochar wrote. “She was an amazing sister and friend and had the biggest and kindest heart of any person I know. Your love of your family, friends and especially your niece will never be forgotten and always missed. So many love you. I will never forget you and will love you forever.”
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Nate Eaton
neaton@eastidahonews.com208-535-8304
