PROVO, Utah (Court TV) — A jury convicted a Utah man of killing his brother-in-law, but not in a murder plot as prosecutors argued.
Kevin Ellis appears in court during a pretrial hearing on Dec. 18, 2024. (Court TV)
Kevin Ellis stood trial on multiple charges, including murder, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of justice in the July 12, 2024, death of Matthew Restelli.
Ellis admitted to pulling the trigger and shooting Matthew Restelli, his brother-in-law, seven times — but maintained he was acting in self-defense. Ellis told detectives that he believed the victim had been armed with a knife.
Detectives said the victim wasn’t armed and had been lured to the property by Ellis’ sister, Kathryn Restelli, who was also the victim’s wife. Kathryn had taken the couple’s children from their California home to visit her mother; text messages made clear that Matthew thought he was driving to pick them up and bring them home.
Prosecutors argued Kathryn never planned to leave with Matthew and instead plotted with Ellis and their mother, Tracey Grist, to murder him when he walked through the door. A knife that was found in Matthew’s hand at the scene was linked to a purchase made by Grist months earlier.
Among the digital evidence, prosecutors introduced internet searches conducted by the family related to the Donna Adelson case. Adelson was the fifth person convicted in the murder-for-hire that killed her former-son-in-law, FSU law professor Dan Markel.
Ellis and Grist’s cases were severed in 2025, with a judge deciding that Ellis’ case would move forward first. Kathryn pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy charges in September 2025 and was sentenced to 1-15 years in prison.
Ultimately, a jury convicted Ellis of Matthew’s murder, but acquitted him on the charge of criminal conspiracy. Kevin faces life in prison at his sentencing, which will be scheduled at a later date.
