Documents reveal how the guardsman's wife allegedly covered up his murder

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah – Court documents reveal how police believe a Utah National Guardsman's wife killed him and tried to cover up his death.

Matthew Johnson, 51, was reported missing Sept. 23 after he failed to show up for work at his Utah National Guard base. Police appealed for the public's help and said his disappearance was suspicious. His truck was found a few blocks from his home in Cottonwood Heights.

Police determined he was last seen on Sept. 20, and witnesses told investigators that Johnson and his wife had an argument sometime between Sept. 20 and 21. Cottonwood Heights police also said officers had previously been called to the family's home and they knew the couple was considering divorce. They have three children together.

Police announced Wednesday that they had arrested 41-year-old Jennifer Gledhill on charges of murder and obstruction of justice

According to court documents, Jennifer came to the Cottonwood Heights Police Department on September 24 to report an incident that occurred on or about September 20 or 21 between her and her estranged husband, Matthew Johnson. The details of the incident are not clear, but FOX 13 News has requested more information.

It was on September 28th that police came into contact with a confidential informant who reported speaking to Jennifer on the 22nd. The informant claimed that Gledhill openly admitted to killing Matthew Johnson by shooting him in the head while he slept. Johnson was reportedly sleeping on the mattress in the master bedroom of their shared Cottonwood Heights home.

Jennifer would also tell the informant that she had removed Johnson's body and transferred his remains to a shallow grave at an undisclosed location. She also reported removing and destroying items from the home to cover up the crime.

Investigators would obtain multiple search warrants and serve them on electronic devices, which would lead investigators to believe that Johnson's remains were in the same unknown location described by the informant. The location has not been disclosed and police say Johnson's body still has not been found.

During a search of their shared apartment, investigators found a large bloody stain in the master bedroom carpet under the bed. Blood was also found on the slats of the bed frame, which confirms the informant's statements to the police. Police also say evidence found at the crime scene suggests extensive cleanup was carried out after the murder, including bleaching the walls and using carpet cleaning products.

It turned out that the mattress in the bedroom was new. Telephone records from Gledhill's telephone investigators showed she ordered a new mattress on September 24th and it arrived on September 26th.

Cottonwood Heights police say Matthew has had no contact with anyone, including his children, since Sept. 21, and that his phone simply went to voicemail. Matthew also never returned to work and left no evidence that would lead investigators to believe he was still alive. Because of these factors, investigators were able to easily say he was deceased.

Police asked the court to deny Jennifer Gledhill bail because she could spend the rest of her life in prison on the charges currently against her. They add that the criminal informant was told by Jennifer that she would shoot herself before going to prison. On October 2, the court agreed to deny her bail.

“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families, especially the Johnson children. These unfortunate tragedies are tearing the fabric of our families apart,” Cottonwood Heights police said in the announcement. “We thank our partners at the DA Office, the State Crime Lab and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office for their efforts.”