COTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah (KUTV) — Investigators with the Cottonwood Heights Police Department are continuing their search for the body of Utah National Guardsman Matthew Johnson, who has been missing since late September.

His wife, Jennifer Gledhill, faces murder charges after apparently confessing to the killing.

Cell phone data was a vital tool in the investigation, leading search teams to focus on Davis County.

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According to case documents, Jennifer’s phone rang on Legacy Parkway and the West Davis Corridor after Matthew disappeared.

Gas station video surveillance also documented her at a Maverik on Parrish Lane in Centerville.

Cottonwood Heights police executed more than 25 search warrants to collect phone data, messages and geolocation information.

“We’re going to find that needle in the haystack,” said Sergeant Gary Young, expressing confidence in the search efforts.

To understand how this data helps investigators, cybersecurity expert and UVU professor Brandon Amacher explained that digital footprints, including data from phones and connected devices, can create a detailed picture of a person’s movements. person.

“It’s not just about phones. It’s about all these accessory technologies that connect to our phones,” he said.

Prosecutors have charged Jennifer Gledhill even though they have yet to find her husband’s body or the murder weapon, pointing to the strong evidence they have gathered in the case. Additionally, they claim that the data collected, such as photos, emails, call logs, and geolocation, is useful.

Professor Amacher emphasized that even deleted data can often be recovered.

“Call logs and chat logs can be deleted, but cellular data and location information is stored by both your device and the carrier,” he added.

Jennifer Gledhill appeared in court Monday, where a judge issued a temporary no-contact order between her and Matthew’s children.

Although the Department of Children and Family Services could not confirm the children’s custody status due to privacy laws, questions remain about their well-being.

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