- Jennifer Gledhill, a woman from Utah, was having an affair. Her husband found out.
- One night, while he was asleep, she shot him dead.
- She pleaded not guilty in court, and the case quickly drew public attention.
A Late-Night Confession
The woman in the photo is Jennifer Gledhill. Let’s call her “Kindness.” That’s how she described herself — someone so gentle she wouldn’t even hurt an ant while sweeping the floor.
One night, Kindness went to her lover’s house for a date. During the visit, she dropped a bombshell: “My husband found out about us… so I killed him and buried the body.” You can imagine the look on her lover’s face. Let’s call him “Shock.”
The Lover’s Report
What was supposed to be a romantic evening turned into a murder confession. Shock kept calm, encouraged Kindness to share the full story, secretly recorded the conversation, and later reported her to the police.
According to the recording, Kindness said her husband, Matthew Johnson, had confronted her after discovering the affair. That night, while he was asleep, she used his own gun to shoot him and then disposed of the body.
Police found bloodstains under the bed and bleach marks on the walls. Her parents were also arrested for allegedly helping clean up the crime scene.
Jennifer is now charged with first-degree murder and is being held in Salt Lake County Jail awaiting trial. Her husband’s body still hasn’t been found.
Despite all this, she insists she’s innocent. So what really happened in this family?
A Broken Marriage
The couple lived in Cottonwood Heights, a suburban area near Salt Lake City. It’s a middle-to-upper-class neighborhood, where single-family homes typically cost between $600,000 and $800,000.
Matthew Johnson was a soldier in the Utah National Guard — a state-level military reserve force that helps with disaster relief and can be deployed overseas. He wasn’t just any man; he was a father of three and a respected serviceman.
To outsiders, their life looked perfect. But behind closed doors, the marriage had already fallen apart.
A Turn Toward Darkness
If the relationship was over, why not just divorce peacefully? What pushed Kindness to allegedly kill her husband?
Let’s look at the timeline.
In July 2024, the couple had already agreed to divorce. Then things got strange — both started fearing for their safety, not over money or custody, but physical harm.
On August 21, Kindness filed for a protective order, claiming Matthew might hurt her. It was denied. The reason? “No evidence of intentional or attempted physical harm.”
Meanwhile, Matthew had told coworkers he was ready to end the marriage and had moved into his workplace dorm to avoid conflict — suggesting he also feared for his safety.
Both believed the other might hurt them. What was going on?
Kindness tried again to get a protective order. On September 16, it was denied again. Officials said Matthew’s behavior was close to threatening but didn’t cross the legal line.
Then, on the night of September 22, the shooting allegedly happened.
On September 28, Kindness called the police to report Matthew missing.
Is There a Twist?
Let’s go back to the recording from Shock. When he asked why she did it, Kindness said: “I wouldn’t hurt a fly… but he wasn’t a person anymore. He wasn’t Matt.”
In her mind, Matthew had become so evil that killing him didn’t count as hurting a person.
Calling someone “not human” is a harsh judgment — especially someone you’ve shared a bed and raised three kids with.
The trial hasn’t started yet, so we don’t know what Matthew did to make her snap. But media speculation points to a few possibilities:
- Affair exposed: She feared losing her reputation and custody of the kids.
- Financial stress: Days before the incident, she asked her parents for $13,000. Divorce could mean financial ruin.
- Family conflict: She repeatedly filed for protection, but courts saw her as the aggressor. The tension had been building.
Still, none of these explain why she said her husband “wasn’t a person.” Was it pure hatred? Or is there more to the story?
On December 4, 2025, Jennifer attended a brief hearing. Her trial is set for January next year.
The case has dragged on partly because Matthew’s body hasn’t been found. Without it, the evidence is limited to witness statements — and Jennifer still claims she’s innocent.
So what really happened? We’ll have to wait for the trial to find out.