PROVO, Utah (Court TV) — A Utah woman faces life in prison after she was convicted of masterminding a plot to kill her son-in-law, who was shot to death in her home.
Tracey Grist appears with her attorney at a preliminary hearing on May 20, 2025. (Court TV)
Tracey Grist, 60, was convicted of murder, criminal conspiracy, obstruction of justice and domestic violence in the presence of a child in the death of Matthew Restelli, 42. Matthew Restelli was shot to death in Grist’s home at the hands of Grist’s son, Kevin Ellis. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 10.
Matthew Restelli’s wife, Kathryn Restelli, who is Grist’s daughter and Ellis’ sister, pleaded guilty shortly after her arrest to murder, conspiracy to commit murder and discharge of a firearm. She was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors said that Matthew Restelli was lured to his death, believing he was arriving at Grist’s home to pick up his wife and two children and return with them to their home in California. But Kathryn Restelli testified that she had no intention of leaving and instead worked with her mother and brother to kill the victim.
Ellis told police that he shot his brother-in-law in self-defense and pointed the police officers on the scene to a knife in Matthew Restelli’s hand. But investigators determined that the knife was in his non-dominant hand — and the knife in question had been purchased online, allegedly by the defendant. The jury determined, as part of their verdict, that Grist was a party to planting the knife in the victim’s hand and that she made untruthful statements to 911 when she called them and said that her son-in-law had been armed.
At Ellis’ sentencing, prosecutors said that they considered Grist to be the ringleader of the plot and have pointed to digital evidence they say ties the matriarch to Matthew Restelli’s killing. Among that evidence is Grist’s search history, which included searches for “Katherine Magbanua,” a key player in the murder of FSU professor Dan Markel. Grist took the stand in her own defense and claimed that she had made those searches out of curiosity after listening to a true crime podcast.
Markel was killed in a murder-for-hire; five people have been sentenced for his death, including his former mother-in-law, Donna Adelson, and former brother-in-law, Charlie Adelson. “Where was Donna Adelson arrested?” as well as a search for a “Dateline” episode focusing on the Adelson’s family also appeared on Grist’s devices. Grist also allegedly searched for “how to get my U.S. passport fast,” and for the “it’s happening meme.”
DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS
DAY 6 – 4/21/26
- LIVESTREAM: UT v. Tracey Grist – Day 6 | Family Trap Murder Trial
- The prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments.
- The jury deliberated for more than four hours before reaching a verdict.
DAY 5 – 4/20/26
- LIVESTREAM: UT v. Tracey Grist – Day 5 | Family Trap Murder Trial
- Timothy Ellis, Tracey Grist’s son
- Said that his mother was married four times and said he took on a fatherly role in the family.
- Closest to Kevin Ellis, then Rachel and Jacob; he walked Rachel down the aisle.
- Matt wasn’t his favorite brother-in-law, but he didn’t hate him. Described Matt as a “big yapper.”
- Learned that Kathryn Restelli was leaving California for Utah just a few days before.
- WATCH: Inside the Family: Son Speaks Out in Brother-In-Law’s Murder Trial
- The prosecution rested its case.
- Tracey Grist, Defendant
- Said Kathryn came to stay with her while having marital struggles; she was aware that Kathryn didn’t tell Matthew that she was leaving right away.
- Everyone had access to her gun safe except for Aurora (youngest daughter).
- On a trip to Disney in 2024, Kathryn and Matthew had an argument about cheating.
- Grist said she was joking when she said she would strangle the victim; she explained she bought AirTags for the children.
- Said Kathryn Restelli was on dating apps after arriving in Utah.
- Cleaned the house before Matthew Restelli arrived, as she would for any company coming to visit.
- Searched for the Adelson case because it was a popular true crime story; searched for cemeteries because of a planned hiking trip.
- Denied knowing Kevin Ellis used cocaine, denied asking him to kill the victim.
- Said she was slow to call 911 because her fear response was to freeze.
- Denied any plan to kill her son-in-law.
- MORE: ‘I would never do that’: Tracey Grist denies involvement in son-in-law’s killing
- The defense rested its case.
DAY 4 – 4/17/26
- LIVESTREAM: UT v. Tracey Grist – Day 4 | Family Trap Murder Trial
- Patrick Zirpoli, Violent crimes/homicide expert
- Specializes in crime scene investigations and reviewed the photographic evidence from this case.
- Viewed the Pharaoh 3D scan of the scene.
- Images of the gun, knife and bullet casings are shown.
- Based on forensic evidence, the victim should have stabbed himself based on the placement/orientation of the knife as he was falling.
- Said the knife appeared to have been placed in Matthew Restelli’s hand post-mortem.
- Suggests the scene was staged.
- WATCH: Knife Placed in Victim’s Hand After Ambush in Son-in-Law Murder: Expert
- Det. Joseph Nordin, American Fork Police Dept.
- Showed the jury images of Matthew Restelli’s vehicle.
- Found cocaine in Kevin Ellis’ room.
- Was suspicious of the timeline of the 911 calls; the neighbor called at 10:09, while Grist called at 10:15.
- Tracey Grist’s 911 call was played in court. During the call, she said that Ellis shot the victim because he had a knife.
- Ellis and Kathryn Restelli’s phones were seized. Detectives found texts between Kathryn and her family talking about an AirTag labeled “Truck.” An AirTag was found on Matthew’s truck.
- Kathryn’s iPad contained a recording of a conversation between her and Matthew.
- The knife found in the victim’s hand was previously manufactured in Australia, but was no longer available.
- Grist’s phone had proof of correspondence between her and the knife’s manufacturer.
- Nothing was found related to the knife manufacturer in Matthew Restelli’s phone.
- Grist’s web search history included Wendi Adelson photos, “When is Donna Adelson’s next hearing?” and Katherine Magbanua.
- Texts between Grist and Kathryn Restelli and Grist and Ellis were shown to the jury.
- WATCH: Murder Plot Foreshadowing: Tracey Grists’s Search History Includes Adelson Family
- Rachel Jorgensen, Tracey Grist’s daughter
- Family referred to Matthew Restelli as “Olaf.”
- Learned that Kathryn Restelli planned to leave California to go to Utah a few weeks before it happened. An AirTag was put on the victim’s truck the day Kathryn Restelli left for Utah.
- Texts to and from her family are shown in court.
- Said Grist “joked” about killing Matthew Restelli before.
- Matthew Restelli’s imminent arrival had her “on edge.” She feared the victim if he was intoxicated and said that he had a drinking problem.
- It was common knowledge in the family that Kathryn Restelli was afraid of Matthew Restelli.
- Kathryn Restelli established romantic relationships when she got to Utah, despite still being married.
- She had no intentions of hurting Matthew Restelli.
- Tara Lynn Fischer, Tracey Grist’s daughter
- Text messages with Kathryn Restelli are shown to the jury.
- Said her sister, Rachel, was scared of Matthew Restelli.
- A phone call between her and Ellis was played in court. Ellis told her, “I should have said no.”
- Saw Matthew Restelli mistreat his children.
- Her husband didn’t allow her to go to the Restelli home because of Matthew’s volatile behavior, alcoholism and weapons.
- Video of the “taco incident” is shown, where Matthew Restelli is complaning about Kathryn Restelli ruining his meal.
DAY 3 – 4/16/26
- LIVESTREAM: UT v. Tracey Grist – Day 3 | Family Trap Murder Trial
- Diane Restelli returned to the stand to resume her testimony.
- Testified to hearing about Matthew’s death; Grist told her, “Matt is dead.”
- A phone call from Grist talking about Matthew’s death was played in court.
- Another phone call, in which Mark Restelli was also on the call, was played in which Grist informs the Restellis that Ellis was arrested.
- When she talked to Kathryn Restelli on the phone, she could hear Grist in the background “coaching” her responses.
- Questioned why a gun was involved in the first place.
- Matthew was found face down; reports mentioned Ellis having cocaine in his system.
- WATCH: ‘Matt Is Dead’: Tracey Grist Informs Victim’s Family of Killing
- Officer Anthony Neil, American Fork Police Dept.
- Entered the home and observed a male lying face down; a man was standing over the body with his arms folded.
- Separated Grist from Ellis after the latter said he had the firearm.
- Bodycam video was shown to the jury.
- Det. Wyatt Nicosia, American Fork Police Dept.
- Bodycam footage of Kevin Ellis is shown to the jury.
- Ellis’ attorney said Matthew Restelli was shot in self-defense.
- Ellis’ attorney refers to the victim as an “armed intruder wielding a knife” who entered the house without permission.
- K9 Officer Kolten Fraughton, American Fork Police Dept.
- Bodycam footage of Grist’s police interview was shown to the jury.
- She detailed hearing gunshots and running to check on her daughter.
- She said she saw Matthew Restelli face down on the ground.
- Says she called 911.
- Bodycam footage of Grist’s police interview was shown to the jury.
- Sgt. Jen Faumuina, Utah Dept. of Public Safety
- Explained “Pharoah Scans” to the jury: it’s an advanced 3D laser scanning technology used in forensic investigations.
DAY 2 – 4/15/26
- LIVESTREAM: UT v. Tracey Grist – Day 2 | Family Trap Murder Trial
- Kaitlyn Laney, Grist’s neighbor
- Called 911 on the evening of July 12, 2024, because she heard what she thought were gunshots.
- Heard 6-8 loud bangs in succession, with a possible pause before the final shot.
- Texted Grist before calling 911. In a text, Grist admits that Kevin Ellis shot Matthew Restelli.
- WATCH: ‘He Had a Knife and My Son, Kevin Show Him’: Tracey Grist Text
- Brent Laney, Grist’s neighbor
- Heard gunshots on the night of Matthew Restelli’s death.
- Dave Kreuger, Grist’s neighbor
- Lived across the street from Grist.
- Footage from his home surveillance system was shown to the jury.
- Kathryn Restelli returned to the witness stand.
- Detailed her plea agreement and addressed inconsistencies in her testimony in Kevin Ellis’ trial.
- Addressed lying to “protect” Ellis and Grist.
- Officer David Guerra, American Forks Police Department
- Responded to Grist’s home on the night Matthew Restelli was shot and killed.
- Bodycam footage was shown to the jury.
- Kevin Ellis answered the door when he knocked.
- Saw the victim face down when he entered the home with a pocket knife near the body.
- Checked Matthew Restelli for signs of life and found no pulse; the victim was not breathing.
- Administered CPR for less than two minutes until the paramedics arrived.
- Dr. Amanda Ho, assistant medical examiner
- Performed an autopsy on Matthew Restelli on July 15, 2024.
- Observed a total of seven gunshot wounds on the victim.
- Of the seven gunshots, three entered and exited the body; four bullets entered the body but did not exit.
- The victim suffered damage to the right and left lung, heart, diaphragm, liver, stomach, spleen, kidney and ribs.
- WATCH: Perforated Organs: Medical Examiner Details Gunshot Wounds in Brother-in-Law Murder Case
- Rachel Williams, Forensic scientist, state crime lab
- Conducted DNA testing on individuals connected to the crime (Matthew Restelli, Kathryn Restelli, Kevin Ellis and Tracey Grist).
- Conducted DNA testing on the knife, which did not contain DNA from any of the four.
- Diane Restelli, Victim’s mother
- Matthew was 42 when he was killed.
- Mother to three sons: Thomas, Jonathan and Matthew.
- Referred to Kathryn Restelli as “dark” and “tough.”
DAY 1 – 4/14/26
- LIVESTREAM: UT v. Tracey Grist – Day 1 | Family Trap Murder Trial
- Prosecutor James Watabe delivered opening statements.
- Matthew Restelli was lured to pick up his wife, Kathryn, and their two children in Utah.
- When he arrived at Tracey Grist’s home, the lights were off.
- When Restelli went inside, he was shot seven times by Kevin Ellis moments after entering the home.
- Kathryn Restelli conspired with Kevin Ellis and Tracey Grist to kill Matthew.
- A knife was placed in Matthew Restelli’s non-dominant hand to try to claim self-defense in his killing.
- WATCH: He Walked In — Then Was Shot 7 Times: State
- Dana Facemeyer delivered opening statements for the defense.
- Kevin Ellis was convicted and is solely responsible for Matthew Restelli’s death.
- This is a messy situation that got out of hand.
- MORE: ‘Messy Deal’ Gone Wrong… ‘One Guy Murdered a Guy’: Defense
- Kathryn Restelli, Victim’s wife/Defendant’s daughter
- Admitted she conspired with her mother to kill her husband.
- Read text messages between her and her mother and sister talking about how much she hated her husband and wanted a divorce.
- She did not think she would get custody of the children and be able to live in Utah if she got a divorce.
- Said she told her mother that she didn’t want to go through with it, but her mother insisted.
- MORE: Kathryn Restelli testifies husband’s murder started ‘as a joke’ in mom’s trial
- WATCH: Inside the Murder Plot: Daughter Says She Helped Plan Husband’s Death with Mom
