Utah Woman Accused of Murdering Husband, Hiding Body in Rooftop Cargo Box During Divorce Dispute

Jennifer Gledhill has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges, including first-degree murder

Just before midnight on September 22, 2024, Jennifer Gledhill, a 42-year-old mother of three, arrived at the home of a man with whom she was having an affair and made a disturbing confession: she had murdered her husband, Utah National Guardsman Matthew Johnson, and buried his body.

According to prosecutors, Gledhill told her lover that two nights earlier, after Johnson discovered she was cheating, he angrily confronted her at their Cottonwood Heights home. Later that night, while he slept in their bed, she allegedly shot him in the head with his own 9-mm handgun. She then packed his body into a vehicle rooftop cargo container, loaded it into her minivan, and drove to bury him in a shallow grave north of their home.

The lover, alarmed by the gruesome account, recorded a later phone call with Gledhill. In the audio, she appeared detached, saying, “Wow, if you think I could even hurt a fly… Like he just, he is, he’s not a person. He wasn’t a person anymore. He wasn’t Matt.”

Gledhill, 42, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder of the death of her husband, 51, in the midst of their bitter divorce.

On October 2, the man turned over screenshots of text messages and the audio recordings to law enforcement. Gledhill was arrested the same day on suspicion of first-degree murder. Her husband’s body has not been recovered. During a February 28, 2025, court hearing, Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney Emily Paulos stated, “Matthew Johnson is not missing. Matthew Johnson was murdered by the defendant.”

Gledhill, who pleaded not guilty, is currently being held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail. Her murder trial is scheduled for December 2025.

The couple’s relationship had been unraveling amid a bitter divorce and accusations from both sides. Friends and fellow service members of Johnson, who was 51 and served in the Utah Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group and formerly in the U.S. Marines, described him as a devoted father and increasingly concerned for his safety in the weeks before his death.

Gledhill had previously filed for protective orders against Johnson, though none were granted. In one instance, a judge noted she appeared to be the “instigator” of the conflict, according to court documents.

Police also arrested Gledhill’s parents, Thomas, 71, and Rosalie, 68, on suspicion of obstruction of justice for allegedly helping her clean up the scene

Johnson reportedly began sleeping at a National Guard facility out of fear, and had told retired Guardsman Kevin Thompson shortly before his death that he was ready to finalize the divorce and move on.

Evidence collected by authorities reportedly included Johnson’s blood found in the carpet beneath the couple’s bed, and indications that a wall had been cleaned with bleach. GPS data also allegedly placed Gledhill in the area where investigators believe she buried the body.

Police also arrested Gledhill’s parents, Thomas, 71, and Rosalie, 68, on suspicion of obstruction of justice, alleging they helped their daughter clean up the crime scene.

More than 100 of Johnson’s fellow soldiers from the Utah National Guard have joined the ongoing search for his remains. Thompson said, “We’re all combat veterans. We’ve seen a lot. But we don’t want to leave a friend behind, so it’s on your mind all the time.”