Naman Shrestha
In September 2024, when Matthew Johnson disappeared from Utah, fear and concern took over the entire community. As the search for the missing National Guardsman was launched, the investigators came across a series of unsettling claims from an unlikely informant. In light of the evidence the police found, the alleged killer was arrested and charged for the crime. With the case still hanging in the balance, many questions arise regarding the investigation.
Matthew Johnson Mysteriously Disappeared, But His Remains Are Yet to be Found
Born in the early 1970s, Matthew Johnson grew up to become an ambitious and determined man, focused on serving his country in one way or another. When he met Jennifer Gledhill, sparks flew between them almost instantaneously. After they fell head over heels in love with one another, they tied the knot in the presence of their loved ones in an intimate wedding ceremony. While he seemed sorted on the matters of the heart, the professional front of his life was also quite settled.
Given his patriotic nature and love for his country, Matthew’s dreams came true when he became a National Guard member at the Utah National Guard base. Everything seemed to be going perfectly fine in his life until he went missing on September 20, 2024. On September 23, he failed to show up to his Utah National Guard base. Since it was highly unusual for him to not turn up at work, the 51-year-old man was reported missing by his wife. Immediately, the authorities launched an extensive multi-agency search for Matthew Johnson. Since his remains have still not been recovered, the investigators continue to look for any signs that can lead them to it and make progress in the investigation.
Someone Close to Matthew Johnson is Allegedly Responsible for His Disappearance and Potential Murder
After Matthew Johnson was reported missing, the police questioned his friends and family, including his wife, who filed the missing persons report. During her interview, Jennifer Gledhill claimed that she and her husband got into an argument on September 20 and had not seen or heard from him since then. As the detectives dug deeper into their seemingly troubled marriage, they learned that Jennifer had filed for divorce in July, followed by a temporary protective order against Matthew. She even submitted video proof supporting her claims. However, in September, her appeal for the latter was declined as, according to the video, she was “equally confrontational toward him.”
A day after Matthew was reported missing, Jennifer reportedly also filed a domestic incident report on September 24. She claimed on the night of September 20, the separated couple got together, began talking, and started drinking whiskey in their Cottonwood Heights home near Salt Lake City. One thing led to another, and as per her claims, they had consensual sex. The next morning, she said she woke up with several bruises all over her body, including her arms, legs, and under her left eye. She told the detectives that she could not recall what happened that night due to the intoxication from the drink. All Jennifer said that she remembered was that Matthew became upset with her and hit her with a closed fist multiple times.
Police Found Enough Evidence Against Matthew’s Wife to Arrest Her
Reports suggest that Jennifer admitted to cheating on Matthew during their sexual intercourse that fateful night. Not long after, the man who had an affair with Jennifer came forward and testified that she had confessed to shooting Matthew in the head while he was asleep in their bed on September 21. As per the witness, this happened after her husband had yelled at her about the extramarital affair. Furthermore, the man claimed that Jennifer put Matthew’s body in a rooftop storage container and loaded it into the back of her minivan before driving away and burying him in a shallow grave.
According to him, the bruises on her body were a result of moving Matthew’s body and cleaning up the house. The man also told the detectives that she took help from her parents — Thomas Ray Gledhill and Rosalie Christianson Gledhill — to clean up the crime scene. When questioned, her parents also provided the investigators with false and misleading information. During the search of Jennifer’s house where the alleged murder took place, the police found blood stains in the bedroom and noticed a newly purchased mattress, which was reportedly bought by her mother.
Upon examination, the blood discovered beneath the bed came from a single male source. While Thomas and Rosalie denied cleaning up the house, the neighbors claimed that they saw the latter at the house for more than five hours. However, Rosalie claimed that she was at the house for under an hour to pick up some clothing. Upon going through Jennifer’s phone activity in the hours after her husband’s disappearance, they came across her conversation with Thomas about the new mattress. In light of all these pieces of circumstantial evidence, the police arrested 41-year-old Jennifer Gledhill on October 2, 2024, for the alleged shooting murder of Matthew Johnson.
Jennifer Gledhill Remains in Police Custody Awaiting Trial
After her arrest, Jennifer Gledhill faces a total of nine felony charges, including five counts of obstruction of justice, one count of witness tampering, one count of possession with intent to distribute, one count of desecration of a human body, and one count of first-degree murder. In a few weeks’ time, Jennifer’s parents, Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill, were also taken into custody for the alleged obstruction of justice and helping their daughter cover up the alleged crime.
During her first appearance in court after her arrest, Jennifer received a court order that prevented her from being in contact with any of her three young children. Ever since her arrest, the children have been in the custody of child services. More than a month has passed since she was taken into custody, but the body of Matthew Johnson remains undiscovered. As of now, she remains behind bars in jail while awaiting her next hearing, which is set for November 22, 2024.
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