Kathryn Restelli, 37, was sentenced Tuesday in Provo’s 4th District court to one to 15 years in prison for her role in the death of her husband, Matthew Restelli.

According to charging documents, on the night of July 12, 2024, Matthew Restelli was murdered inside his mother-in-law’s home after he was persuaded under false pretenses to travel from California to pick up his wife and their three children, who had temporarily relocated to Utah.

Within minutes of Matthew Restelli entering the American Fork home, he was allegedly shot by Kevin Ellis, Kathryn Restelli’s brother, multiple times, police said in a probable cause affidavit.

Tracey Grist, Kathryn Restelli’s mother, was also named as having a connection to the case. All three were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, according to the charging documents.

At a July hearing, Kathryn Restelli admitted to misleading her husband into driving from their home in California to Utah so the two could reconcile only to have him ambushed when he arrived, KSL.com reported.

As part of a plea deal during that hearing, Kathryn Restelli pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy to commit murder, both second-degree felonies, and felony discharge of a firearm, a first-degree felony. Additional charges of obstruction of justice and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, which she initially faced, were dropped.

On Tuesday, 4th District Judge Roger Griffin imposed the maximum sentencing of one to 15 years in prison for both second-degree felonies and five years to life in prison for the first-degree felony.

The ultimate decision on the exact length of time Kathryn Restelli does behind bars will be up to the Utah State Parole Board, Griffin noted.

Additionally, the judge ordered her to have no contact with her children.

“Let me be clear; your children are victims of your actions,” Griffin said. “They’ll be lifetime victims of your actions. They deserve to grow up without you in your life and their lives. Your actions the day after the events of July (2024) shows how callous and uncaring you were towards your children and what you did to their father.”

According to court documents, about a month before the incident, Kathryn Restelli left her husband in California, saying she needed “a breather,” and told others she wanted a divorce.

Court documents stated she then took their three children and moved to her mother’s home in American Fork, citing financial struggles and various forms of abuse.

During July’s court hearing, Kathryn Restelli told the courtroom that she wanted to back out of the alleged plan devised by her family to kill her husband. Griffin argued against that claim on Tuesday.

“You still had ongoing telephonic communications with your husband before the events that led to his death that night,” he said, “More importantly, you had more than just hours to do something about that; you had days to stop your family’s plan to kill your husband. But you can elect not to do anything.”

Before the judge’s ruling, Kathryn Restelli cried as she gave a statement before the courtroom acknowledging her role in Matthew Restelli’s death and its subsequent impact on his children and loved ones.

“I’m so very deeply sorry for the pain that I’ve caused,” she said. “I understand that my apology will never be enough to heal the hurt that was caused and continues to cause. He didn’t deserve it. If I had the power to bring him back, I would.”

A family in pain

Kathryn Restelli was not the only one shedding tears during Tuesday’s hearing. Matthew Restelli’s mother, Diane Restelli, gave an emotional statement expressing the grief she continues to endure.

“Matt’s death has created a massive hole in my heart,” she said. “I will never have the daily phone conversations with Matt, hear his voice or ask his advice on so many things. (And) his children will be raised without their father.”

Diane Restelli said she didn’t learn of her son’s death until the next day when she received a phone call from Grist saying he was dead.

She said that while the pain of losing her son will never go away, their family is committed to making sure Matthew and Kathryn Restelli’s children are in loving hands.

“There is no happy ending to my victim’s statement; nor should there be,” Diane Restelli said. “But my family is strong and we will get the job done just like Matt would have done and I am sure he is pleased that we are caring for his children at these unspeakable times, because we love them and we cherish and we respect the word family.”

Both Grist and Ellis are scheduled for jury trial beginning in January.