Utah woman killed missing husband in his sleep, police say

( NewsNation ) — A Utah woman was arrested after allegedly telling an informant she shot her estranged husband in the head while he slept and buried his remains in a shallow grave.

Jennifer Gledhill, 41, was arrested Wednesday in connection to the shooting death of Matthew Johnson, 51. She faces one count of first-degree felony murder and one count of second-degree felony obstruction of justice, but formal charges have yet to be filed in court.

Johnson, a member of the 19th Special Forces Group with the Utah National Guard, was reported missing and last seen “on or about” Sept. 20, according to a news release from the Cottonwood Heights Police Department. His body has yet to be discovered.

Newly released court documents claim Gledhill told a third party that she had shot her estranged husband in the head in the master bedroom of their Cottonwood Heights home on the night of Sept. 20. Gledhill allegedly told the third party she then buried Johnson in a shallow grave at an undisclosed location before removing and destroying items in the house in an attempt to cover up the crime.

Through their investigation, detectives reportedly found a large blood-stained spot underneath the bed in the master bedroom and blood on the bed frame slats. Detectives say evidence collected on the scene also suggests a “significant clean up” that included bleaching walls and using carpet cleaning supplies.

A new mattress was also reportedly ordered Sept. 24, days after Johnson was reported missing.

“It is known that the couple had been considering divorce since July of this year and that they have three minor children, aged 11, 7, and 5 years,” Cottonwood Heights Police said in the release.

Court records show Gledhill had previously filed for a protective order from Johnson. However, on Sept. 16, days before Johnson was allegedly killed, a court commissioner found there were no cases of domestic violence or abuse that warranted a protective order and the matter was dismissed.

Gledhill has not yet confessed to authorities. She is being held without bail, pending a pretrial hearing.

NewsNation affiliate KTVX contributed to this report.

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