Utah Woman's Parents Arrested for Allegedly Aiding in Husband's Murder Cover-Up
Nov 07, 12:00 AM
The parents of a Utah woman accused of murdering her husband after he confronted her about an alleged affair have been arrested for allegedly assisting in cleaning up the crime scene.
Thomas Gledhill, 70, and Rosalie Gledhill, 67, were taken into custody on Thursday, October 24, during traffic stops in Salt Lake County, according to a press release from the Cottonwood Heights Police Department. They have been booked on multiple felony counts of obstruction of justice in connection with the September death of Matthew Johnson.
Their daughter, Jennifer Gledhill, 38, was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses related to her husband's killing, including obstruction of justice, felony drug possession, witness tampering, and desecration of a human body.
Authorities allege that on September 20, Johnson confronted Gledhill about an extramarital affair. The following day, she allegedly shot him while he slept in their home. According to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Gledhill then placed Johnson's body into a rooftop storage container, slid it down the stairs, and loaded it into the back of their minivan. She is accused of driving north, digging a hole, and burying him in a shallow grave.
Johnson was reported missing by Gledhill on September 28. However, a man who claimed to have been involved in an affair with her came forward, telling police that Gledhill confessed to killing her husband. He stated that she told him Johnson had "yelled at her" about the affair and that she shot him as he slept, prosecutors said.
Investigators allege that Gledhill destroyed Johnson's phone, abandoned his truck in a different part of the neighborhood, and was seen on surveillance footage thoroughly cleaning her own vehicle at a car wash. Police tracked her phone's GPS data to the location where Johnson's truck was found, but his body has not yet been recovered.
According to affidavits of probable cause, witnesses reported seeing Thomas and Rosalie cleaning their daughter's home for over five hours on September 24, though Rosalie claimed they were there for about an hour. Both parents denied cleaning the house when questioned by police. Cell phone data allegedly shows that Thomas was the only person Jennifer called on the day she is believed to have buried Johnson's body.
A search of the home revealed a bloodstained spot on the carpet beneath the bed in the main bedroom and walls covered in bleach behind the bed. Investigators noted that the mattress was new; prosecutors said Rosalie admitted to purchasing it for her daughter upon request. The original mattress and Johnson's body remain missing.
Testing on the bloodstain indicates it came from a single male source, but further DNA analysis is underway to confirm if it matches Johnson, according to prosecutors.
Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill were booked into jail and face multiple felony charges of obstruction of justice. It is unclear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf.
Gledhill's arrest comes after she was charged with nine felonies, including first-degree murder. She is accused of attempting to tamper with witnesses and desecrate a human body.
Johnson's family and friends continue to seek answers. "There are many questions left unanswered, none more than where is [Matthew]?" District Attorney Gill said.
Gledhill is currently being held without bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for later this month.
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Thomas Gledhill, 70, and Rosalie Gledhill, 67, were taken into custody on Thursday, October 24, during traffic stops in Salt Lake County, according to a press release from the Cottonwood Heights Police Department. They have been booked on multiple felony counts of obstruction of justice in connection with the September death of Matthew Johnson.
Their daughter, Jennifer Gledhill, 38, was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses related to her husband's killing, including obstruction of justice, felony drug possession, witness tampering, and desecration of a human body.
Authorities allege that on September 20, Johnson confronted Gledhill about an extramarital affair. The following day, she allegedly shot him while he slept in their home. According to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Gledhill then placed Johnson's body into a rooftop storage container, slid it down the stairs, and loaded it into the back of their minivan. She is accused of driving north, digging a hole, and burying him in a shallow grave.
Johnson was reported missing by Gledhill on September 28. However, a man who claimed to have been involved in an affair with her came forward, telling police that Gledhill confessed to killing her husband. He stated that she told him Johnson had "yelled at her" about the affair and that she shot him as he slept, prosecutors said.
Investigators allege that Gledhill destroyed Johnson's phone, abandoned his truck in a different part of the neighborhood, and was seen on surveillance footage thoroughly cleaning her own vehicle at a car wash. Police tracked her phone's GPS data to the location where Johnson's truck was found, but his body has not yet been recovered.
According to affidavits of probable cause, witnesses reported seeing Thomas and Rosalie cleaning their daughter's home for over five hours on September 24, though Rosalie claimed they were there for about an hour. Both parents denied cleaning the house when questioned by police. Cell phone data allegedly shows that Thomas was the only person Jennifer called on the day she is believed to have buried Johnson's body.
A search of the home revealed a bloodstained spot on the carpet beneath the bed in the main bedroom and walls covered in bleach behind the bed. Investigators noted that the mattress was new; prosecutors said Rosalie admitted to purchasing it for her daughter upon request. The original mattress and Johnson's body remain missing.
Testing on the bloodstain indicates it came from a single male source, but further DNA analysis is underway to confirm if it matches Johnson, according to prosecutors.
Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill were booked into jail and face multiple felony charges of obstruction of justice. It is unclear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf.
Gledhill's arrest comes after she was charged with nine felonies, including first-degree murder. She is accused of attempting to tamper with witnesses and desecrate a human body.
Johnson's family and friends continue to seek answers. "There are many questions left unanswered, none more than where is [Matthew]?" District Attorney Gill said.
Gledhill is currently being held without bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for later this month.
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com