A Utah woman who was charged with murder and criminal conspiracy after her husband's death has pleaded guilty.
Investigators from the American Fork Police Department believed that she worked with family members to "lure" her husband, Matthew Restelli, to his death.
Kathryn Restelli, pleaded guilty to murder, a second-degree felony; conspiracy to commit murder, a second-degree felony; and felony discharge of a firearm, a first-degree felony. The remaining charges of obstruction of justice and domestic violence in the presence of a child were dismissed as part of her plea deal.
Kathryn, her mother, Tracey Marie Grist, and her brother, Kevin Stanley Ellis are accused of conspiring to fatally shoot Matthew in July 2024. Ellis was arrested in July 2024 for shooting his brother-in-law – a California resident, had been living separately from his wife for several months.
Kathryn Lured Matthew from California After Fleeing to Utah with the Kids
Matthew Restelli's mother, Diane Restelli, testified that Kathryn Restelli said she needed a "breather" and took the family's truck, taking the children and leaving Temecula, CA, without telling her husband. He was very concerned until Kathryn Restelli told him she was spending several weeks living with Grist, her mother, in American Fork.
According to Diane Restelli, on July 12, 2024 — the day her son was killed — she was told that Kathryn Restelli was going to rent a vehicle to return to her and Matthew Restelli's residence in California after three weeks in Utah. She later found out her son was driving to pick up his family in Utah because Kathryn Restelli could not rent a vehicle due to an injury.
When Matthew Restelli arrived at the home in the American Fork gated community, he was shot multiple times by Ellis. Grist contacted 911, and police and emergency medical services responded to the scene.
A Knife was Placed in Matthew's Right Hand but He was Left-Handed
Upon arrival, officers discovered some suspicious factors. Matthew Restelli was pronounced dead at the scene, and a knife was in his hand; however, officers observed that he was gripping it the wrong way, alongside other suspicious circumstances.
"Matthew Restelli is left-handed, and he's holding [the knife] in his right hand. Along with that, during the autopsy, a bullet wound was found in his right wrist... the same hand he's holding the knife with," Joseph Nordin, an American Fork officer who responded to the scene, testified.
Ellis Claimed He Shot Matthew in Self-Defense
Nordin testified that Matthew Restelli's body was found near the stairs in the entryway. He said that eight shell casings were found at the scene, and he had been shot six — possibly seven — times. Ellis claimed this was in self-defense.
Evidence recovered from Kathryn Restelli's devices allegedly showed that she was researching spousal homicide cases and "what attracts mountain lions to humans" before her husband's death. Around the same time, Grist was researching gun laws and recent shootings in Utah.
Nordin testified that Grist and Kathryn Restilli were charged with criminal conspiracy because they allegedly coordinated a plan to bring Matthew Restelli to the home on July 12 — including pretending Kathryn Restelli had an injured ankle and couldn't rent a vehicle, alongside the fact that she had not packed anything to return home to California.
Kevin Ellis has a jury trial scheduled to start on January 20, 2026. Grist has pleaded not guilty to all counts and has a jury trial scheduled to start on January 12, 2026. Kathryn's sentencing has been scheduled for September 9, 2025.
