Jennifer Gledhill, a mother from Utah, is accused of shooting her husband, Matthew Johnson, while he was sleeping after he found out she was having an affair. Her parents, Thomas Gledhill, 70, and Rosalie Gledhill, 67, were recently arrested for allegedly helping her cover up the crime.
Police say they were stopped in Salt Lake County on Oct. 24 and taken to jail on charges of blocking justice in connection to Johnson’s death.
Authorities believe Jennifer’s parents helped her clean the house and hide evidence after she allegedly killed her husband on Sept. 21. Their arrests came just over a week after Jennifer was charged with murder and other crimes related to her husband’s death.
Prosecutors say that on Sept. 28, Jennifer reported Johnson missing. She was arrested in early October after a man, who said he was in a relationship with her, told police she admitted to killing Johnson in his sleep after he found out about her affair.
Jennifer allegedly told this man that she put Johnson’s body in a storage container, moved it in their minivan, and then buried it.
Witnesses told police they saw Thomas and Rosalie cleaning their daughter’s home for several hours on Sept. 24. However, the parents claimed they were only there for about an hour and denied cleaning. Investigators also found that Jennifer called her father on the day she is believed to have buried Johnson.
When police searched Jennifer’s home, they found a bloodstain on the carpet under the bed, bleach marks on the wall, and a new mattress. Jennifer’s mother allegedly admitted to buying her the mattress.
Authorities think Johnson was killed on a mattress that was thrown away and is still missing, along with his body. Testing showed the blood on the carpet came from a male source, and further tests are being done to see if it matches Johnson’s DNA.
Police also searched the Gledhill parents’ home and found a plastic container with a loaded gun, similar to one Jennifer had shown to the informant. Authorities say the parents have not helped with the investigation or shared information about the location of Johnson’s body.
A judge has ordered Jennifer not to contact her three children, and it’s unclear if she or her parents have legal representation.
