Utah mom Jennifer Gledhill, 41, is accused of shooting and killing her husband Matthew Johnson, 51, in his sleep in September, and now Gledhill’s parents, Rosalie and Thomas Gledhill, have also been arrested in connection with Johnson’s death.
Reportedly, Gledhill and Johnson’s marriage was headed for divorce. The night Johnson disappeared, he had found out she was having an affair, and they argued. Allegedly, Gledhill shot and killed Johnson on a mattress inside their home, removed the body from the house, and buried him in a shallow grave at an undisclosed location. Gledhill cleaned up the scene while the couple’s three children, ages 5,7, and 11, stayed with Gledhill’s parents.
Johnson was a National Guardsman, and his colleagues reported him missing when he failed to show up for work. At first, Gledhill told the police Johnson left after the argument and told her not to contact him. There has been no activity on Johnson’s phone since he disappeared.
But according to Utah police, Gledhill told someone that she killed her husband. That man, who authorities call a confidential informant but is widely reported to be the man with whom she was having an affair, then contacted the police. Johnson’s remains have not been found.
Gledhill’s parents role in the crime
In late October, with their daughter in custody, Gledhill’s parents, Rosalie and Thomas Gledhill, were also arrested and charged with obstruction of justice, accused of helping their daughter cover up Johnson’s murder, Fox13 Now reported. As mentioned, Gledhill and Johnson’s children were with Rosalie, 67, and Thomas, 71, the night Johnson died and for several days afterward.
Johnson was last seen on Sept. 20, and according to ABC News, Gledhill and Johnson’s neighbor reported seeing Gledhill’s parents help clean their home four days later. Gledhill allegedly showed the gun she used to murder her husband to the informant who contacted the police, and a gun matching the model was found hidden in Rosalie and Thomas’ house. Gledhill’s parents have not cooperated with the authorities, and have not said if they know where Johnson’s body is located.
Bleached walls and a new mattress
It’s unclear how Gledhill’s parents helped clean their daughter’s home, as Gledhill’s neighbor alleged, but according to court documents, the walls inside the house had been scrubbed with bleach, and evidence suggested the carpets had also been cleaned. Gledhill also ordered a new mattress a few days after Johnson was last seen. The informant said she told him she had shot Johnson on a mattress. Gledhill was also seen removing and destroying items from inside the home. Despite apparent efforts to cover up the crime, a blood stain was found underneath the bed, and blood was also found on the bedframe.
According to KUTV, Rosalie and Thomas said they were only inside Gledhill and Johnson’s home for about an hour, but witnesses saw them there for more than five. Rosalie’s phone data, which could place her inside the home, had been “remotely reset.” Rosalie also reportedly bought Gledhill the new mattress, and Gledhill reportedly spoke with her father about the new bed. Thomas told police he never went inside Gledhill’s master bedroom. Moreover, Gledhill called her father the night Johnson was last seen, and after that, her phone was turned when she may have been at the undisclosed location where she buried his body, according to prosecutors.
Referring to Gledhill’s parents, Criminal Defense Attorney Skye Lazaro, who is not involved in the case, told Utah news outlet KMYU, “As of right now, if they’ve invoked their right to remain silent, I would expect that that would probably continue unless there is a reason for that to change for negotiations. When you don’t have a body in a murder case, it makes it substantially harder to move forward.”