American Fork woman who allegedly conspired to kill son-in-law appears in court

AMERICAN FORK, Utah (ABC4) — On July 12, 2024, Matthew Restelli was shot and killed at an American Fork home by his brother-in-law. Following his death, his brother-in-law, mother-in-law, and wife would all be arrested and charged with murder. Today, his mother-in-law was in court.

Tracey Marie Grist, 59, is facing five felony charges: one count of murder, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of obstruction of justice, and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child.

Grist is accused of working alongside her daughter — Kathryn Restelli — and son to commit the July 2024 shooting of Kathryn Restelli’s husband. Kevin Stanley Ellis — Grist’s son and Kathryn Restelli’s brother — was arrested in July 2024 for shooting his brother-in-law. Police said a knife was found in Matthew Restelli’s hand at the scene.

Kathryn Restelli and Grist both had a preliminary hearing scheduled today. Kathryn Restelli waived her right to that hearing, meaning that only Grist’s hearing was held.

Testimony was heard from Matthew Restelli’s mother about what led up to his death. A detective who responded also testified and shared a crucial piece of information about the knife found on Matthew Restelli’s body.

Mother of the victim testifies

Judge Roger Griffin began the hearing and asked the prosecution to call their first witness. Diane Restelli, the mother of Matthew Restelli, was called to the witness stand by James Watabe, the prosecutor.

She testified that the relationship between Kathryn Restelli and her son began getting “rocky” around the COVID-19 outbreak, and they were facing financial struggles. Matthew Restelli lived with Kathryn Restelli and their children in Temecula, California, Diane Restelli stated. She also confirmed that he was left-handed.

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. She recalls the moment she found out her son was dead.

“Tracey had called me and had asked if I was with my husband, and I was concerned. Like, why would my husband have to be with me?… Her next statement was, quote, ‘Matt is dead,'” Diane Restelli testified. She didn’t find out he had been killed until the next morning.

Diane Restelli testified that Kathryn Restelli reached out on July 14, 2024, and stated she wanted to talk about what happened. A recording of this call is played for the court. Diane Restelli asked when the family performed life-saving measures on her son after he had been shot.

“I was in so much shock, and I [unintelligible] the conversation going on and the experience again,” Kathryn Restelli told her over the phone. “Because I am so sad, I just need some time.”

In the recording, Diane Restelli asks if her son had a history of aggression or anger issues, and Kathryn Restelli said that he did not. Grist joins the call later.

“He had a gun, he was ready,” Diane Restelli says of Ellis, Grist’s son, in the recording, sparking back-and-forth between her and Grist. The call ends abruptly after several more minutes of arguing.

Diane Restelli testified that she had a regular trip to Las Vegas with all of her family. She cancelled it in 2024 because she was concerned about Kathryn Restelli’s recent behavior.

The day before the trip would have happened, Kathryn Restelli said she needed a “breather” and took the family’s truck, taking the children and leaving Temecula 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.

She stated that neither Matthew nor Kathryn Restelli had alluded to anything involving a separation or divorce. As far as she knew, Matthew Restelli was planning to pick up his wife and family in Utah on good terms.

During cross-examination, Diane Restelli testified that her son did have guns and knives, but did not usually keep them on him. She stated that he never carried a knife on his belt loop, as far as she was aware.

Lead detective testifies

Joseph Nordin, an American Fork police officer, was called to the stand by Watabe. He is a detective, part of the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force, and investigated the death of Matthew Restelli.

Nordin testified that the shooting occurred around 10:05 p.m. on July 12, 2024. A 911 call placed by Grist at 10:15 p.m. afterward is played for the court. She tells the dispatcher that her daughter’s husband had been shot. The dispatcher clarifies what’s going on and tells her that an ambulance and an officer are on the way.

The prosecution asks what detectives on the scene alongside Nordin found suspicious. He states that the way the knife was found was suspicious; it looked like he was holding it unnaturally. It was a folding pocket knife with a window-breaker and seatbelt cutter.

“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,” Nordin testified.

Nordin also testified that he found it suspicious that all of the lights in the home were turned off and Matthew Restelli’s sandals had been removed and placed by the door. A clip from a police interview with Kevin Ellis was then played for the court.

“I was afraid for my life and I shot in self-defense,” Ellis states on the recording. He then requests counsel and says he doesn’t want to answer more questions. The officer clarifies a few things with a family member who is in the interview with Ellis, and he says they believed Matthew Restelli was an armed intruder.

Nordin testified that Matthew Restelli’s body was found near the stairs in the entryway. He said that eight shell casings were found on scene, and he had been shot six — possibly seven — times. Nordin stated that a gun safe was found in a closet next to the garage.

A police interview with Grist is then played for the court. Grist tells the officer that she knew Matthew Restelli was coming, and he was “agitated” when he arrived and spoke with her in the kitchen. In the recording, Grist said he asked if Kathryn Restelli was upstairs and exited the kitchen. That’s when she heard gunshots and ran out to see her son-in-law lying face down on the ground.

A text message from Grist to a woman named Rachel Jorgensen reads, “Plus, Matt made it so I want to kill him. When Katy asked about whatever I had said about her being in the camper too much, which I never said anything, he straight up lied. I’m gonna kill him.”

There was evidence that Grist had been in contact with the company that sold the type of knife found on Matthew Restelli’s body. It was a unique brand, and Nordin did not locate that same type of knife at any local stores.

Evidence recovered from Kathryn Restelli’s devices showed that she was researching spousal homicide cases and “what attracts mountain lions to humans” before her husband’s death.

On June 16, Grist was searching gun laws and recent shootings in Utah, as well as divorce laws. Kathryn Restelli had been told by a lawyer she needed to file for divorce in California.

Nordin testifies that Grist and Kathryn Restilli were charged with criminal conspiracy because they 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.

Judge Griffin dismissed the court for the evening. The preliminary hearing is continuing tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. at the courthouse in Provo.