A Utah judge on Wednesday threw the book at a 61-year-old American Fork woman convicted of conspiring to kill her son-in-law, giving her every day the law would allow. Tracey Marie Grist was ordered to serve 15 years to life on the murder conviction, with additional consecutive terms for conspiracy, obstruction, and counts of domestic violence in the presence of children. The sentence follows a jury verdict earlier this year that put Grist at the center of what prosecutors said was a calculated plan to lure a California man to his death.
Fourth District Judge Roger W. Griffin imposed the statutory maximums on each count and stacked them on top of one another. In court, he called Grist "incredibly dangerous" and said he would recommend she be denied parole. That combination means Grist faces a very long stretch behind bars before she can even ask for release, according to KMYU.
How Prosecutors Say the Plot Unfolded
Prosecutors told jurors that on July 12, 2024, Grist helped lure her son-in-law, Matthew Restelli of Temecula, California, to her American Fork home by telling him his wife and children would return to California with him. Instead, they said, Restelli walked into an ambush. Within seconds of stepping inside, he was shot. Prosecutors argued that Grist's son, Kevin Ellis, pulled the trigger and that his sister, Kathryn Restelli, helped bring Matthew to the house as part of the setup. The alleged lure, the shooting, and the staging that followed formed the spine of the state's case, as reported by KSL.
Evidence Prosecutors Highlighted
At trial, prosecutors leaned on a mix of forensic work and digital breadcrumbs. Expert testimony said the knife found in Restelli's hand had been placed there after he was shot, rather than used in any struggle. Investigators also uncovered text messages and search history that they said tied Grist to planning and research about other custody-related killings. Prosecutors pointed to a gap between a neighbor's 911 call and Grist's own call to emergency dispatch, arguing that the delay gave time to stage the scene.
Witnesses described cleaning inside the home before the killing, and jurors heard about DNA and messaging evidence that linked the weapon back to the household. Together, those pieces were presented as the roadmap of a family murder conspiracy, detailed in coverage by Court TV.
Sentences for Co-defendants
Grist was not the only family member to face a harsh outcome. Her son, Kevin Ellis, was convicted earlier in the case and on March 31, 2026, received a sentence of 15 years to life for murder, along with additional consecutive terms for related charges, according to Fox13.
Family Reaction and Next Steps
During Grist's sentencing, members of Matthew Restelli's family pushed hard for the maximum, telling the court about their loss and calling Grist the "root of the poisonous tree." Her daughter-in-law, Kathryn Restelli, had already admitted her own role in luring her husband to the home. She previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to up to life in prison, a deal that prosecutors said helped them secure convictions in the other trials, according to KSL.
Grist declined to speak at Wednesday's hearing. Judge Griffin noted that he had read and considered letters submitted in her support before deciding on the sentence.
The punishments cap a case that began on July 12, 2024, when Restelli was shot inside an American Fork home. With the verdicts and sentences now in place, the focus shifts to the prison system and any appeals that may follow, a phase outlined in reporting by Court TV.
