Cottonwood Heights mother charged with husband's murder again ordered no contact with children

SALT LAKE CITY – Jennifer Gledhill's attorney claimed in a hearing Friday that her parents' arrests seemed like prosecutors trying to take everything away from her.

He said prosecutors were trying to “set fire to everything my client loves” and there was no new information leading to the parents' arrest.

Gledhill, 41, is accused of murdering her husband, whose body has not been found. She was charged Oct. 15 with murder, a first-degree felony; five counts of obstruction of justice and drug possession with intent to distribute, second-degree felonies; plus abuse or desecration of a corpse and witness tampering and third-degree felonies.

Thomas Gledhill, 71, and Rosalie Gledhill, 67, were arrested Thursday for investigation of obstruction of justice in Matthew Johnson's death and accused of helping their daughter solve the crime.

Jennifer Gledhill's attorney, Jeremy Deus, asked the judge overseeing Gledhill's case to reconsider a protective order that bars her from contact with her children. He said her father was “missing” and her mother had been kidnapped and not hearing from her could be damaging.

“In a situation where children deserve to hear that their mother is thinking about them and loving them … she can't do that,” he said.

He said contact should be considered in juvenile court, where the children would have an attorney to represent their interests.

Third District Judge Adam Mow said he would lift the protective order, saying he didn't believe that was the purpose of the law, but issued a no-contact order. For Gledhill this essentially means the same thing, although the order no longer carries a criminal sanction.

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He told Gledhill that he would consider exceptions to the order in the future, particularly if lawyers agreed to certain conditions.

“I recognize … this is a restriction not only for Ms Gledhill but also for the children,” he said.

Salt Lake County Assistant Attorney Emily Paulos pleaded no contact, saying it was an ongoing investigation and Gledhill was charged with multiple counts of obstruction of justice. She said the children were potential victims and witnesses.

Paulos said the children are being placed with the family and under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services.