Who is Jennifer Gledhill? Utah woman accused of killing husband Matthew Johnson in 2024 as body may finally be found
Jennifer Gledhill, a 43-year-old Utah mother of three, is back in the spotlight after new unsealed court records revealed that data from her Oura Ring could help locate the body of her missing husband, Matthew Johnson. Johnson’s body has not been recovered nearly two years after his disappearance.
Prosecutors have alleged that the wearable device may contain location records unavailable through other digital evidence.
The latest development comes after a search warrant, unsealed earlier this month, showed that prosecutors requested records from Oura Health covering September 20 to October 1, 2024. According to the warrant, investigators believe Gledhill may have been wearing the fitness ring while allegedly transporting and disposing of Johnson’s body.
What are the allegations against Jennifer Gledhill?
According to prosecutors, Matthew Johnson, 51, was allegedly shot while sleeping at the couple’s Cottonwood Heights home on September 21, 2024.
Court documents state that the killing followed an argument after Johnson confronted Gledhill about an alleged affair. Investigators alleged the confrontation ended after the couple consumed whiskey and had sex in their house.
Johnson was then fatally shot. Gledhill has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
Authorities said that Gledhill allegedly confessed to the killing to a man with whom she was having an affair. The man later contacted the police, according to charging documents released by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
“The defendant told [her lover] that she shot Mr. Johnson [the next day] as he slept in their bed … that she put Mr. Johnson’s body into a rooftop storage container, slid him down the stairs of their home, and loaded his body into the back of their minivan,” the report read.
According to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Gledhill “then took her husband’s body north, dug a hole, and buried him in a shallow grave.” Gledhill was also seen cleaning her car out after the alleged murder in a surveillance car.
Investigators have also accused Gledhill’s parents, Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill, of helping clean the home after the alleged murder. They face charges for evidence tampering.
Data from the Oura Ring is crucial
Court records indicate investigators previously relied on GPS data from Gledhill’s vehicle to identify several remote locations in northern Utah visited after Johnson’s disappearance. Those searches led to the discovery of Johnson’s abandoned pickup truck, a storage container that allegedly tested positive for his blood, and discarded bedding with a mattress and pillows.
However, the police were unable to trace Johnson’s body.
Prosecutors have argued that the Oura Ring could fill gaps left by cellphone and vehicle records because these rings log time- and date-stamped GPS data that the investigators hope will lead them to the exact location where Gledhill allegedly buried his body.
According to ABC4, images captured on the day of the purported murder verify that Gledhill was wearing the ring, and Johnson’s Utah National Guard unit also attested to his possession.
Evidence presented during earlier court hearings included photographs of bloodstains beneath the couple’s bed. Prosecutors said DNA testing matched Johnson. They also displayed GPS maps and photographs of items recovered in remote areas at the family home.
