Important Legal Status

Matthew Johnson disappeared from Cottonwood Heights, Utah, in September 2024. Prosecutors allege that his estranged wife, Jennifer Gledhill, shot him while he slept, concealed his body and attempted to destroy evidence with assistance from others.

Jennifer Gledhill has pleaded not guilty. Her criminal trial has not yet taken place, and the allegations described below have not been proven to a jury. Matthew’s body and the firearm allegedly used to kill him have not been recovered.

As of August 4, 2026, Jennifer remains charged with nine felonies. Her seven-day jury trial is scheduled to begin on December 7, 2026.

Matthew Johnson’s Life Before His Disappearance

Matthew Johnson was 51 years old when he disappeared. He was a father of three and a longtime member of the Utah Army National Guard.

Matthew served in the Utah Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group. One of his friends and fellow soldiers, John Hash, said they served together for approximately 12 years and also became friends outside the military. Matthew’s disappearance therefore affected not only his immediate family but also a military community accustomed to depending on him.

Matthew was married to Jennifer Gledhill, and the couple lived with their children in a home on Horizon Circle in Cottonwood Heights, a suburban community southeast of Salt Lake City.

By the summer of 2024, however, the marriage had deteriorated badly. Jennifer filed for divorce in July. The couple became involved in a contentious separation and custody dispute, and Jennifer sought a protective order against Matthew in August. Her attempts to secure permanent protection were unsuccessful.

Charging documents later described the relationship as highly confrontational. Prosecutors cited the earlier protective-order proceedings while arguing that Jennifer should be detained without bail, although those family-court disputes did not establish that she had committed the later criminal offenses.

Jennifer’s Extramarital Relationship

While the divorce was developing, Jennifer was involved with another man. Court documents refer to him as an informant rather than publicly identifying him.

According to the informant, the relationship was more than a casual friendship. He told investigators that he and Jennifer had been having an extramarital affair.

This man would eventually become one of the most important witnesses in the case. Prosecutors allege that Jennifer confided in him after Matthew disappeared, sent him incriminating messages and spoke to him during recorded telephone conversations.

His account is central to the prosecution’s reconstruction of what happened. However, because Jennifer has pleaded not guilty, his credibility, motives and interpretation of their conversations are matters that the defense may challenge at trial.

Events Leading Up to September 20, 2024

On September 19, two days before the date listed for the alleged murder, Jennifer allegedly showed the informant a tan Glock handgun. He told detectives that she pulled back the slide so he could see that it was loaded.

Investigators later found a green-and-tan Glock 19X gun box at Jennifer’s parents’ home. The box was inside a plastic storage tote near a bedroom Jennifer used when staying there and had been wrapped in a child’s onesie.

The firearm itself was not inside the box and has not been publicly reported as recovered. Prosecutors nevertheless argue that the box was consistent with the model and color of the gun the informant claimed Jennifer had shown him.

Recently unsealed warrants also revealed that Jennifer contacted her father, Thomas Gledhill, around this period and asked for $13,000 by Friday. Thomas reportedly transferred $1,000 to her through Venmo on September 19.

The publicly available documents do not conclusively establish why Jennifer wanted the money. Its existence may become relevant to the broader financial and marital circumstances, but it should not by itself be treated as proof of a murder plan.

The Argument on September 20

Matthew returned to the Cottonwood Heights residence on September 20, 2024.

According to the informant’s statement, which prosecutors included in the charging documents, Matthew had discovered Jennifer’s affair. Jennifer allegedly said that Matthew came home and began yelling at her because he knew she had been sleeping with another man.

Jennifer later told police that she and Matthew had argued on September 20. She claimed that after the confrontation, Matthew said he would be gone for approximately one week and instructed her not to call him.

That statement would become her explanation for why she did not immediately report him missing.

The couple’s children were staying with Jennifer’s parents during the critical period. Prosecutors have alleged that Jennifer arranged for them to be away on the night Matthew was killed and later asked her parents to keep them for an additional day.

That allegation is part of the state’s argument that the events were calculated rather than spontaneous. The defense has not yet presented its complete response to that interpretation before a jury.

What Prosecutors Say Happened to Matthew

The criminal charge places Matthew’s death on or about September 21, 2024.

According to the account the informant gave investigators, Jennifer said Matthew was sleeping in the couple’s shared bed when she shot him in the head with Matthew’s 9mm Glock.

No eyewitness has publicly claimed to have seen the shooting. The prosecution’s allegation is instead based on the informant’s description of Jennifer’s purported confession, recordings and messages, blood evidence inside the bedroom, and later evidence connected to the alleged disposal of Matthew’s body.

Publicly released records contain some details whose precise timing may need to be clarified at trial. For example, the charging information places the alleged killing on or about September 21, while also describing doorbell footage that allegedly showed Matthew’s truck being parked away from the house at 6:15 that morning. A neighbor reported hearing Matthew and Jennifer arguing on the night of September 21 and into the early hours of September 22.

These details do not necessarily disprove the state’s overall allegation, but they show why the exact sequence will be important when witnesses and evidence are examined at trial.

The Alleged Removal of Matthew’s Body

The informant told detectives that Jennifer described how she handled Matthew’s body after the shooting.

She allegedly said she placed him inside a rooftop cargo container, moved the container down the stairs and loaded it into the rear of her Chrysler Pacifica minivan. She then allegedly drove north, dug a hole and buried Matthew in a shallow grave.

The informant noticed bruising on Jennifer’s arms and legs. According to his statement, Jennifer explained that the bruises came from moving Matthew’s body and cleaning the house.

Prosecutors allege that she also smashed Matthew’s phone and moved his truck into another neighborhood to create the impression that he had voluntarily left.

The informant further claimed Jennifer spoke about killing herself rather than spending the rest of her life in prison. Prosecutors cited this reported statement, along with an alleged possibility that she might flee to Indiana with the children, when asking the court to hold her without bail.

These claims came from the informant and the state’s probable-cause filing. They have not yet been tested through a full criminal trial.

Jennifer’s Movements on September 22

Investigators later examined location information from Jennifer’s phone.

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on September 22, her phone traveled near the neighborhood where Matthew’s truck would eventually be found. Later that afternoon, the device moved north from Salt Lake County toward Davis County.

At 1:46 p.m., Jennifer’s phone placed a call to her father that lasted approximately four minutes. The device continued north before being switched off at about 2:37 p.m.

It remained off for roughly two and a half hours. When it was powered on again at approximately 5:07 p.m., Jennifer was traveling east on the West Davis Corridor. Another call was placed to her father one minute later.

Video from a Maverik gas station in Centerville showed a Chrysler Pacifica resembling Jennifer’s vehicle in the area shortly after 5:00 p.m. Investigators said this footage corresponded with the phone-location records.

The state alleges that the northern trip was the journey during which Jennifer concealed Matthew’s remains. Because his body has not been found, however, investigators have not publicly identified the alleged burial site or established precisely where she may have stopped while her phone was turned off.

The Car Wash Footage

At 10:37 p.m. that same night, Jennifer’s Chrysler Pacifica was recorded at a Holiday Oil car wash on Highland Drive.

The footage allegedly showed the vehicle going through the wash and then parking beside the vacuuming area. A single person opened the doors and thoroughly cleaned the minivan.

The vehicle left at approximately 11:07 p.m. Jennifer’s phone was then detected at the informant’s residence at approximately 11:47 p.m. This timing matched the informant’s account of when Jennifer arrived at his home.

When investigators later searched the Pacifica, they found its rear seats folded down, increasing the amount of available cargo space.

The prosecution considers the vehicle’s configuration, its trip north and the extensive late-night cleaning to be evidence supporting the informant’s claim that Jennifer had transported Matthew’s body.

Individually, traveling north, folding down seats or washing a vehicle would not prove murder. The state’s case depends on how those actions combine with the alleged confession, blood evidence and other circumstances.

The Alleged Confession to the Informant

Shortly before midnight on September 22, Jennifer allegedly arrived at the informant’s home in an emotionally distressed state.

The informant said Jennifer initially asked to visit because she wanted to give him some prints or artwork. According to the charging documents, she indicated that she might be going away for a long time and wanted someone to have the items.

During that meeting and later conversations, she allegedly described shooting Matthew, moving his body, hiding his truck and burying him north of Salt Lake County.

The informant did not immediately contact law enforcement. He later explained that he was initially uncertain whether Jennifer was telling the truth.

He preserved screenshots of their messages and recorded some of their telephone conversations. According to him, Jennifer was actively deleting WhatsApp messages while he attempted to save them.

In one written exchange, Jennifer allegedly stated that she had washed and vacuumed everything and that it was no longer a problem. In other messages, she reportedly suggested that a loyal friend would help with a shovel or take such a story to the grave.

At a February 2025 detention hearing, prosecutors disclosed more information from one of the recorded conversations. They said Jennifer apologized for telling the informant what had happened and asked him not to view her as a monster.

The state also said she referred to Matthew in the past tense before he had officially been reported missing. Jennifer’s defense attorney responded that there were two sides to the story, signaling that the defense disputes the prosecution’s interpretation of the recorded material.

The Alleged Cleanup Inside the House

While investigators believe Matthew was killed around September 21, much of the alleged cleanup occurred over the following days.

A neighbor reported seeing Jennifer’s parents, Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill, at the Cottonwood Heights house on September 24. According to the neighbor and her mother, the parents remained there until approximately 11:00 p.m. and were seen cleaning in the house and garage.

Rosalie later told detectives that she had been at the property for less than an hour. She also acknowledged ordering a replacement mattress from Amazon at Jennifer’s request.

Thomas said he remembered few details and claimed he had been helping with a leak in the garage. When detectives asked whether he had entered the master bedroom, he allegedly responded that he had not gone into the area “where the incident happened.”

The replacement mattress was delivered to Jennifer’s parents’ home around September 26. The original mattress has not been recovered.

The state believes Matthew was shot while lying on that missing mattress and that it was removed to destroy evidence.

Matthew Fails to Return to Work

Matthew’s unexplained absence first attracted official attention through the Utah National Guard rather than through Jennifer.

On September 25, one of his military colleagues contacted the Cottonwood Heights Police Department. Matthew had failed to return to work, which was described as highly unusual.

Attempts to call him went directly to voicemail. The National Guard was preparing to list him as absent without leave, but those who knew his normal behavior were concerned that something was wrong.

Matthew had not contacted his relatives, friends or coworkers. There was no publicly reported activity showing that he had voluntarily begun a new life elsewhere.

Investigators also noted that his passport and military identification remained behind. His disappearance was increasingly inconsistent with his established routine and responsibilities.

Jennifer Reports Matthew Missing

Jennifer did not report Matthew missing until September 28, eight days after the argument she described to police.

She told an officer that Matthew had not been seen or heard from since September 20. She repeated her claim that he had said he would be gone for a week and that she should not call him.

The officer described Jennifer as distracted and at times nervous during the conversation.

Telephone records later showed that Jennifer had made no documented attempt to contact Matthew after September 21.

The prosecution considers that absence significant. If Jennifer genuinely believed her estranged husband had simply left after an argument, investigators questioned why she did not call or message him, particularly as his absence continued and his military colleagues became concerned.

The defense may argue that the couple’s separation, Jennifer’s claim that Matthew asked not to be contacted and the hostility within the marriage offer a different explanation. That issue remains unresolved until trial.

Matthew’s Truck Is Found

On September 30, detectives located Matthew’s truck only about three-tenths of a mile from the family home.

His phone was inside.

Doorbell-camera footage allegedly showed the truck being parked at that location on September 21. Investigators also said Jennifer’s phone traveled near the location early on September 22.

The discovery weakened the idea that Matthew had driven away to spend a week alone. His vehicle and phone were both close to home, while Matthew himself remained missing.

Prosecutors allege that Jennifer deliberately moved the truck and left the phone inside to mislead anyone searching for him.

One of the five obstruction charges filed against her specifically concerns moving Matthew’s vehicle.

Evidence Found in the Bedroom

Detectives searched the Cottonwood Heights residence and discovered that the mattress in the master bedroom appeared new.

The wall behind the bed showed fresh wiping marks and was heavily treated with bleach. Investigators reported reddish-brown spots on the wall, bed frame and window blinds.

When the bed was moved away from the wall, forensic testing detected human blood in a large circular pattern on the carpet beneath the right side of the bed, close to where a sleeping person’s head would normally rest.

Police also reported a strong chlorine odor in the basement. The dark carpet on several stairs showed bleach discoloration, and investigators seized a carpet-cleaning machine.

The state argues that the bedroom blood pattern supports the allegation that Matthew was shot while sleeping and that bleach was then used in an attempt to erase the evidence.

At the time the charges were initially filed, testing showed that the blood came from a single male source, but the comparison with Matthew’s DNA had not been completed. Later analysis confirmed that the blood on the carpet belonged to Matthew.

Other Evidence Recovered From the Property

Detectives searched Jennifer’s Chrysler Pacifica as part of the investigation.

Inside, they reported finding six small bags containing material believed to be psilocybin mushrooms, packaged in a manner investigators considered consistent with individual sale. They also found three small containers holding a powdered plant substance and $206 in cash.

This discovery led to a separate second-degree felony charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The charge is not itself evidence that Jennifer killed Matthew, but it is included among the nine felony counts she faces.

Investigators also noted that no computers, laptops or electronic storage devices were found during the search of the house, even though an active high-speed internet connection was present.

The publicly available charging document does not explain what ultimately happened to any household computers or whether their absence will be a major issue at trial.

Jennifer’s Arrest

Cottonwood Heights police arrested Jennifer Gledhill on October 2, 2024.

The arrest came after officers found Matthew’s truck and phone, searched the residence and began comparing the physical evidence with the informant’s account.

At that stage, Matthew was still officially missing. Investigators had not recovered his body and had not found the alleged murder weapon. Nevertheless, they believed the combination of blood evidence, Jennifer’s alleged admissions and her documented movements established that a homicide had occurred.

On October 15, the Salt Lake County District Attorney formally filed nine felony charges:

• One count of first-degree felony murder

• Five counts of second-degree felony obstruction of justice

• One count of second-degree felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute

• One count of third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a human body

• One count of third-degree felony witness tampering

The five obstruction counts relate to allegedly deleting WhatsApp messages, disposing of the mattress, cleaning the house, disposing of the gun and moving Matthew’s truck.

The Arrest of Jennifer’s Parents

On October 24, police arrested Jennifer’s parents, Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill, for investigation of obstruction of justice.

Police alleged that they had participated in cleaning the Cottonwood Heights home, disposing of evidence and providing misleading accounts of how long they were at the property.

Their arrest did not mean they had been convicted or even formally charged. According to reporting through April 2025, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office was still investigating them, and no criminal charges had yet been filed.

Investigators examined their communications with Jennifer, the replacement mattress order, telephone calls made during Jennifer’s trip north and items found at their residence.

Public records indicate that police suspected Thomas and Rosalie knew more than they disclosed. However, it remains unclear whether they knew a killing had occurred, whether they believed they were helping with an ordinary household cleanup, or whether the evidence will support future charges.

Their legal status must therefore be kept separate from Jennifer’s. Being arrested for investigation is not the same as being formally prosecuted or found guilty.

The Search for Matthew

Finding Matthew became one of the most difficult parts of the investigation.

Authorities initially concentrated on areas north of Cottonwood Heights because Jennifer’s phone traveled through Davis County before being switched off. Search operations later expanded through Davis, Weber and Box Elder counties.

In early February 2025, approximately 70 law-enforcement officers and Utah National Guard soldiers searched near Snowville, close to the Utah–Idaho border. Police said one of their leads had taken investigators farther north, though they did not disclose the evidence behind that lead.

Matthew’s military colleagues participated extensively. For them, finding him was not only about strengthening the criminal case but also about returning his remains to his family.

His friend John Hash publicly expressed frustration that Matthew had not been located and called for additional efforts. Matthew’s family said their priority was caring for his three children and finding him so he could receive a proper burial.

Police also asked the public to recall seeing Jennifer’s silver 2018 Chrysler Pacifica during September 21 and 22, particularly in northern Utah.

Despite the searches, Matthew’s burial site has not been identified.

The Rooftop Storage Container

A major development emerged during Jennifer’s detention hearing on February 28, 2025.

Prosecutors announced that investigators had found a rooftop cargo container in a Davis County wetland. The container had reportedly appeared after a storm, and the state suggested that it may have floated away from the location where it had been concealed.

Testing detected Matthew’s blood inside the container.

Prosecutors compared the recovered container with photographs stored on Jennifer’s phone and argued that its design and markings matched a container previously used by the family.

This discovery was significant because the informant had told police months earlier that Jennifer claimed to have placed Matthew’s body inside a rooftop cargo box before loading it into the Pacifica.

The state argues that finding Matthew’s blood inside such a container corroborates a central part of the informant’s account. The defense may still examine how the container was identified, where it had been before the storm, how the blood was collected and whether any innocent explanation exists.

Evidence Allegedly Discarded Along the Route

At the detention hearing, prosecutors also presented photographs of a location where they believe Jennifer discarded items from the master bedroom.

The recovered or identified items reportedly included a foam mattress layer, pillows and a rug. Investigators compared the rug with an earlier photograph from Jennifer’s phone that showed Matthew standing near what appeared to be the same rug.

The state argues that this evidence links Jennifer to the disposal of objects removed from the bedroom after Matthew disappeared.

The original mattress itself remained missing. So did the alleged Glock handgun and Matthew’s body.

These absences will likely form an important part of the defense argument. At the same time, prosecutors may contend that the missing items are not weaknesses in the case but the expected result of the obstruction offenses they have charged.

Jennifer Is Denied Bail

Jennifer asked the court to reconsider holding her without bail.

At the February 2025 detention hearing, prosecutors presented the confirmed DNA results, the rooftop container, phone-location maps, photographs of discarded bedroom items and portions of the recorded conversations with the informant.

The judge denied her request for release. Jennifer remained in custody while the case moved toward trial.

The decision was not a finding of guilt. Pretrial detention decisions consider factors such as the strength of the preliminary evidence, possible danger to others, risk of flight and potential interference with an investigation.

Jennifer continues to receive the presumption of innocence at trial.

The Not-Guilty Plea

On February 6, 2025, Jennifer waived her right to a preliminary hearing.

At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors would ordinarily have been required to present enough evidence for a judge to determine whether probable cause existed to send the case to trial. Jennifer’s attorney explained that she chose to waive the hearing after being advised that, at that stage, factual inferences would generally be viewed in the prosecution’s favor.

Jennifer then pleaded not guilty to all nine charges. Her attorney emphasized that the defense disputed facts contained in the state’s allegations.

Waiving the preliminary hearing was not an admission. It simply allowed the case to proceed directly toward trial without litigating the probable-cause question at that intermediate stage.

The Defense’s Position

Jennifer’s complete defense strategy will not be known until trial, but several likely areas of dispute have already emerged.

First, Matthew’s body has not been found. Without it, investigators cannot conduct a traditional autopsy to determine the exact cause, manner and time of death.

Second, the alleged murder weapon remains missing. Although a Glock box was recovered and the informant described seeing a loaded handgun, the state has not publicly produced the gun it says was used.

Third, the case depends heavily on an informant who acknowledged having an affair with Jennifer and who initially delayed going to police. The defense may question his motives, the context of the messages and whether the recordings contain complete conversations.

Fourth, the defense may challenge the prosecution’s timeline, including the sequence involving the truck, the neighbor’s report of an argument and Jennifer’s trip north.

Finally, many actions cited by prosecutors—cleaning a vehicle, buying a mattress, traveling, calling a parent or failing to contact an estranged spouse—are not inherently criminal. The state must convince a jury that their combined meaning, supported by forensic evidence, proves murder beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defense attorney Jeremy Deus has cautioned that there are multiple sides to the story and has said there are alleged facts the defense intends to contest.

The Prosecution’s Circumstantial Case

Although there is no recovered body, prosecutors have assembled a substantial circumstantial case.

They point to Matthew’s blood in the bedroom, cleaning marks and bleach, a newly replaced mattress, bleach discoloration on the stairs and the disappearance of bedroom items.

They also have Matthew’s blood inside a rooftop container, Jennifer’s location data showing a trip north, footage of her thoroughly cleaning the Pacifica and evidence that the rear seats had been folded down.

Matthew’s truck and phone were discovered close to home, while Jennifer made no recorded attempt to contact him after September 21.

The informant supplied alleged confession details before many elements were publicly known, including the rooftop container, the truck, the northern journey and the cleanup. Prosecutors argue that physical and digital evidence later corroborated important parts of what he reported.

The state also possesses messages and recorded conversations in which Jennifer allegedly discussed cleaning, deleting communications, keeping secrets and not wanting the informant to see her as a monster.

The trial will determine whether the jury regards those statements as an admission to murder, dark hypothetical conversation, language taken out of context or something else.

Delays Before Trial

Jennifer’s trial was initially expected to begin in December 2025.

In November 2025, attorneys told the court that they were not ready, and the case was moved to June 2026. It was later delayed again because another murder trial before the same judge and involving the same prosecutor had scheduling priority.

On May 7, 2026, the court scheduled jury selection to begin at 9:30 a.m. on December 7, 2026. The trial is expected to last seven days.

The delay means that more than two years will have passed between Matthew’s disappearance and the scheduled trial.

Pretrial conferences were set for November 5 and December 3, 2026. Those hearings could address evidentiary disputes, trial logistics or any potential plea negotiations before jury selection begins.

Where the Case Stands

As of August 4, 2026:

• Matthew Johnson’s body has not been recovered.

• The alleged murder weapon has not been publicly reported as found.

• Jennifer Gledhill has pleaded not guilty.

• She remains charged with nine felonies.

• She has been denied pretrial release.

• Her trial is scheduled to begin on December 7, 2026.

• Her parents were arrested for investigation of obstruction, but the reviewed public reporting did not establish that they had been formally charged.

• No jury has decided whether the prosecution has proven that Jennifer killed Matthew.

Conclusion

The disappearance of Matthew Johnson began as a concern raised by his military colleagues when a dependable National Guardsman failed to return to work.

Jennifer Gledhill initially told police that her estranged husband had left after an argument and had asked not to be contacted for a week. But Matthew’s truck and phone were soon discovered close to home, and the physical evidence inside the bedroom suggested that something violent had happened there.

Investigators found Matthew’s blood beneath the bed. They documented bleach, cleaning marks, a replacement mattress and discoloration on the staircase. Jennifer’s phone traveled north and was switched off for several hours. Her minivan was recorded being thoroughly cleaned late that night.

Then an informant disclosed that he had been having an affair with Jennifer and claimed that she had confessed to shooting Matthew as he slept, moving his body in a rooftop cargo container and burying him in a shallow grave.

Months later, investigators found a rooftop container in Davis County with Matthew’s blood inside it.

For prosecutors, those pieces form a connected story of murder, concealment and an attempted cleanup. For the defense, the case remains a collection of allegations and circumstantial evidence that must survive careful examination before a jury—without a body, an autopsy or the alleged firearm.

What is beyond dispute is that Matthew vanished in September 2024 and has had no known contact with his children, relatives, friends or military colleagues since then. His family continues to live without his remains and without a final answer from the court.

The criminal trial scheduled for December 2026 will decide Jennifer Gledhill’s legal responsibility. Until a verdict is returned, she remains presumed innocent, and the central question of the case remains unresolved: whether the evidence can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Matthew Johnson did not voluntarily disappear, but was killed inside his own home and secretly buried somewhere in northern Utah.