Local brewery owners found murdered at their home in Olalla, Washington

See all of our stories about this tragic event as it unfolded, and the suspect was eventually apprehended.

Original Post — Steven Shulz and Mina Shulz, the owners of E2W Brewing in Ollala, Washington, were found dead at their home according to reports on August 19th. A statement from local law enforcement said that the cause of death was “homicidal violence.”

The couple’s daughter called 911 after finding signs of forced entry at the home, along with other signs of violence. Deputies later discovered their bodies in the yard. Steven and Mina were both 51 years old.

Speaking on behalf of the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Lt. Ken Dickinson said he could not release further information about what detectives learned regarding how the couple was killed but noted that investigators spent 20 hours at the scene. “They collected a mound of evidence and are going through all that right now and comparing notes,” Dickinson said.

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E2W Brewing, which operated a home-based nano brewery, opened for business in 2016. The brewery did not yet operate a taproom but was open for growler fills. The plan was to open a taproom sometime in the near future; Steven and Mina’s plans recently received approval from the county.

The beers were often found on tap at local bars and restaurants, as well as at local beer festivals, like the Bremerton Summer Brewfest and the Gig Harbor Beer Festival. Recently, E2W’s Strawberry Basil Ale was named the top beer at the Gig Harbor Beer Festival, as chosen by festivalgoers.

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We will share any new developments as the investigation unfolds. We extend our deepest condolences to Steven and Mina’s family and friends.

Image of Steven and Mina Shulz from Facebook.

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Original statement from Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office:

AUGUST 19 – TWO FOUND DEAD AT OLALLA HOME

At approximately 5:15 pm on Thursday evening, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the 12900 block of Shady Glen Ave SE in Olalla for suspicious circumstances reported at a residence in the area.

The reporting person had responded to the home to check on her parents and discovered forced entry into the home and saw blood inside. She was unable to locate either of her parents. The caller backed away from the residence and called 911. When Deputies arrived and checked the area they made a gruesome discovery, locating two deceased adult bodies on the property.

KCSO Detectives responded and were able to quickly determine that the bodies were of an adult male and adult female, and that both had died from homicidal violence. The victims were later identified as 51-year-old STEVEN P. SHULZ and 51-year-old MINA SHULZ. The bodies of both victims were turned over to the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office, who will ultimately determine the cause and manner of death.

Detectives remain on site and are completing the painstaking task of processing the crime scene. Shady Glen Ave will be closed to all except residents for most of the day today.

This homicide investigation is in its very early stages and there is much still to be processed. Additional information will be released as soon as it is available and appropriate.

Anyone who has information about this investigation, especially if you had seen anyone suspicious in the area, is asked to contact Detective Jennifer Rice at (360) 337-5616 or by email at kcsodetectives@kitsap.gov.

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