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Dateline: The Family Plot will follow the chilling murder of Matt Restelli on July 12, 2024. Matthew 'Matt' Restelli was allegedly shot and killed by his brother-in-law, Kevin Ellis, at an American Fork home.
Matt's wife, Kathryn Restelli, pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy to murder, and felony discharge of a firearm in 2025.
Kevin was arrested in July 2024 for allegedly shooting Matt Restelli. However, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. In January 2026, Kevin was convicted of the murder of his brother-in-law, Matt Restelli. He admitted pulling the trigger and shooting Matt seven times in self-defense. However, the detectives noted that the victim was unarmed and was lured to the property. Kathryn Restelli and Tracey Grist were arrested on October 29, 2024.
According to Court TV, Kathryn and Matt's marriage was in shambles. Kathryn took her children to visit her mother. The text conversations made it clear that Matt was on his way to pick up his children and bring them home. Little did he know that this was all a setup. Kathryn, her brother, and their mother planned to kill Matt.
Kathryn pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy to murder, and discharge of a firearm in 2025. She was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison.
Kevin was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, whereas Tracey was handed out multiple sentences up to 15 years.
Dateline: The Family Plot is set to release on September 25, 2026, at 9 PM ET on NBC.
Here's more about the upcoming case of Dateline: The Family Plot.
Dateline: The Family Plot - Timeline of Matt Restelli's murder
The Family Plot- July 12, 2024: Matt Restelli's body was found at his mother-in-law's home in American Fork
Matthew 'Matt' Restelli, a resident of California, was found dead by authorities on July 12, 2024, at an American Fork home. The police responded to a 911 call that reported sounds of multiple gunshots.
Police found Matt's dead body at the entrance of his mother-in-law's house. He was shot multiple times. His brother-in-law, Kevin Stanley Ellis, was arrested that night and charged with murder and other felonies involving guns, obstruction of justice, and violence. In the following months, Matt's wife, Kathryn, and her mother, Tracey Grist, were arrested too.
According to court documents, Matt arrived at Tracey's American Fork residence at 10:06 PM on July 12, 2024. He drove from California to pick up his children. Apparently, the couple was separated.
It was around 10:07 PM that the neighbor heard gunshots. The neighbor tried to contact the family by phone, and when they did not respond, they called 911. Initially, Tracey told the investigators that Kathryn and Matt were going through a separation, and Matt brought a knife to threaten them. Kevin, Tracey's son, shot him in self-defense.
The investigators found the EVATAC knife was positioned incorrectly in the victim's hand. They found drugs in Kevin's room. Kevin also admitted to having a gun. He was arrested and charged with multiple felonies.
July 13-19, 2024: Kathryn tells friends she is happy about Matt's death
According to KJZZ14, Kathryn allegedly showed crime scene photos to her friends via video chat. She texted her friends stating she was happy about Matt's death. Tracey told her friend that she wished she had taken images of the victim's body.
On July 15, Kathryn's friend reported her previous text about murdering Matt. On May 13, 2024, Kathryn texted her friend,
"I'm trying to wait...I just might murder Matt today though."
August- December 2024: Kevin's court proceedings, and Tracey Grist and Kathryn Restelli are arrested
In August 2024, Kevin's preliminary hearing was cancelled. On October 29, 2024, Tracey Grist and Kathryn Restelli were arrested. The children were placed in DCFS custody.
The investigators found out that in 2020, Tracey Grist purchased a 9mm handgun from a client, the same caliber as the murder weapon. In the following years, both Tracey and Kathryn were involved in suspicious activities hinting at Matt's murder. Before Matt was killed, in July 2024, Kathryn contacted a divorce lawyer.
Dateline: The Family Plot - July 2025: Kathryn pleaded guilty to killing Matt Restelli with the help of her mother and brother
Kathryn pleaded guilty to three charges in the July 2024 death of Matt Restelli. The charges include murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and discharge of a firearm.
September 9, 2025: Kathryn Restelli sentenced to one to 15 years in prison
Kathryn Restelli was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison for the murder of Matt Restelli. According to Court TV, she lured her husband to Utah under fake pretenses to murder him with the help of her family.
Along with the one to 15-year prison sentences, Judge Roger Griffin also announced a sentence of 5 years to life in prison for the charge of felony discharge of a weapon. The sentence for murder and felony discharge will run consecutively. The conspiracy sentence will run concurrently. The judge further ordered Kathryn to stop further contact with the children.
Dateline: The Family Plot - January, 2026: Kathryn Restelli testifies
In January 2026, Kathryn Restelli testified that she conspired with her mother and brother to kill her husband. She described her failing marriage as the reason that led her to confide in her mother about the problems with Matt. By June 2024, she decided to leave him. She moved to Utah with her children. She testified that she rented a car on June 20. She placed an AirTag on Matt's truck to help them monitor his movements.
Dateline: The Family Plot - January 2026: Kevin Ellis convicted of killing Matt Restelli
In January 2026, Kevin was convicted of killing Matt Restelli. But he was also acquitted on the charge of criminal conspiracy.
March 2026: Kevin Ellis' sentencing
Kevin Ellis was sentenced to 15 years to life for murder, to run consecutively with one to 15 years for obstruction of justice and two 0-5 years for domestic violence in the presence of a child. According to Court TV, he admitted to pulling the trigger and shooting Matt seven times. Kevin maintained his stance that he acted in self-defense.
Dateline: The Family Plot will provide a deeper analysis of the case.
Dateline: The Family Plot - April-June 2026: Tracey Grist's sentencing
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On April 21, 2026, Tracey Grist was convicted and found guilty of first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, and obstruction of justice with first-degree felony conduct. On June 10, Tracey was sentenced to 15 years to life for murder, one to 15 years for criminal conspiracy, and one to 15 years for obstruction of justice. Additionally, she was sentenced to zero to five years for multiple counts of domestic abuse in the presence of a child.
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