- Tracy Grist was ordered to stand trial for allegedly conspiring to murder her son-in-law as he arrived at her home.
- Her son, Kevin Ellis, and daughter, Kathryn Restelli, who is also the victim's wife, face similar charges.
- The joint jury trial for all three is scheduled for January.
PROVO — An American Fork woman was ordered to stand trial for murder in the death of her son-in-law, who investigators say was shot and killed by her son as he arrived at her home.
The preliminary hearing for Tracy Grist, 60, was held in May, and in a hearing on Wednesday after reviewing testimony and written arguments from attorneys, 4th District Judge Roger Griffin found there was enough evidence to order her to stand trial.
Grist's son, Kevin Ellis, 34, and daughter, Kathryn Restelli, 37, have also been charged in the killing. Ellis was ordered to stand trial in January, and Restelli waived her right to a preliminary hearing shortly before it was scheduled. All three cases are set for a joint jury trial beginning in January.
They are each charged with murder, a first-degree felony; conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice, second-degree felonies; and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony. Ellis is also charged with possession of a gun as a restricted person, a third-degree felony, and drug possession, a class A misdemeanor.
Before ruling there was enough evidence to support Ellis' charges in his preliminary hearing, Griffin said the recordings of phone calls showed victim Matthew Restelli was not angry or trying to cause problems but was looking forward to seeing his wife and kids and taking them home.
Matthew Restelli was shot and killed on July 12, 2024, minutes after driving from his family home in California to American Fork, where his wife had been staying with her mother. Prosecutors allege Restelli's death was the result of a conspiracy between Ellis and others in Restelli's wife's family.
Griffin said both sides know Ellis shot Restelli, and he determined that the argument from Ellis claiming the shooting was in self-defense was "not persuasive," citing the placement of the knife in Restelli's hand and a delay in calling 911.
Restelli's mother testified in the preliminary hearing for Grist about hearing that her son had died. When Grist initially called to tell her, she said she assumed he died in a car accident on his way to Utah, but she said she learned more from news articles than from her family.
"Everything happened so quickly, obviously somebody was prepared," Diane Restelli testified.
Ellis' attorney, Scott Williams, previously asked for a separate trial, but Griffin determined it was in the best interest of the court to keep the cases together. In Wednesday's hearing, Williams again said he was asserting his speedy trial rights and said although his motion was denied, others may file motions to separate the cases.
He said he plans to file a motion arguing that Ellis should not be kept incarcerated during the process due to the delay, and a hearing was set for July 23 to address that motion.
Grist's next hearing will be on Aug. 20, and Kathryn Restelli's will be on July 16.
