Dateline: The Family Plot - Who is Kathryn and where is she now? Details about Matt Restelli case

Dateline: The Family Plot revisits the chilling and shocking murder of a 42-year-old man from Temecula, California, named Matthew Restelli, who was allegedly shot and killed by Kevin Ellis at an American Fork home. Court TV mentioned that Kevin was taken into custody in July 2024 for the alleged shooting of Matthew Restelli and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. In January 2026, Kevin was found guilty of murdering Matthew.

Kevin admitted to firing the gun and shooting Matthew 7 times while claiming that it was an act of self-defense. Detectives reported that Matthew was unarmed and had been lured to the property. On October 29, 2024, Matthew's wife, Kathryn Restelli, was arrested along with her mother, Tracey Grist.

The Cinemaholic revealed that Kathryn is currently serving her sentence at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. She pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy to kill her husband, and felony discharge of a firearm in 2025.

Continue reading more about The Family Plot.

Dateline's The Family Plot: Who is Kathryn Restelli, and how did she plan to kill her husband?

Dateline's The Family Plot revealed that Kathryn Restelli is the wife of the late Matthew Restelli. Matthew was the target of a plan made by Kathryn, her brother Kevin Ellis, and their mother Tracey Grist at an American Fork home in Utah. Court TV revealed that Matthew and Kathryn's marriage was in shambles. Kathryn had taken her children to visit her mother, and the plan was discussed there.

The text conversations between Kathryn and Tracey revealed that Matthew was on his way to pick up his children and bring them home, but Matthew had no idea that Kathryn, her brother, and their mother were setting up a plan to kill him. According to The Cinemaholic, Kathryn's text messages to Tracey revealed her frustration, as she wrote:

"We’ve been fighting so much! I want out!"

Tracey Grist later texted:

"I’ll just drive nine hours and strangle him."

June 2024

In June 2024, Kathryn left the couple's California home with her two children and went to her mother's house in American Fork without informing Matthew. Reports claimed that Tracey and Kathryn spoke more than once about killing Matthew.

Tracey suggested that her daughter use a knife so the killing of Matthew could appear to be an act of self-defense. When Matthew pressured Kathryn to return with the children to California, she asked him to come to American Fork to collect them. She pretended that she was willing to move back.

July 12, 2024

The Family Plot exposed that while Matthew was driving to American Fork on July 12, 2024, Kathryn kept her husband calm. According to the prosecutors, Tracey set up the ambush and covered the furniture to stop blood from staining it before her son, Kevin, confronted Matthew and shot him.

Kathryn told the police that she gave the children melatonin gummies so that they would be asleep before Matthew arrived around 10 p.m. At that moment, she was upstairs in a bedroom where she heard several gunshots. Later, she revealed that Kevin and Tracey worked together to place a knife in Matthew's hand so it would appear that Matthew attacked Kevin first and that Kevin shot Matthew in an act of self-defense.

The police arrested Kevin on the same day as the murder.

October 29, 2024

Kathryn and Tracey were arrested on October 29, 2024, after Kevin was taken into custody in July 2024.

Dateline's The Family Plot: Current status of Kathryn

A scene from Dateline: The Family Plot (Image via YouTube/@Dateline NBC)

Kathryn Restelli is currently serving her sentence in the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City after admitting her role in the 2024 killing of her husband.

The episode The Family Plot revealed that Kathryn pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and felony discharge of a firearm in 2025. Under the plea agreement, the prosecution dismissed two counts: domestic violence in the presence of a child and obstruction of justice. In return, Kathryn agreed to testify against her mother and her brother during their trials.

A few months later, in September 2025, her sentencing hearing was held. In January 2026, Kathryn testified against her brother Kevin Ellis during his murder trial. In April 2026, she also testified against her mother, fulfilling the terms of her plea deal.

Also read: Dateline's The Man Who Loved Christmas exposed how Marsha Allen slowly poisoned her husband, Harold Allen, and ultimately killed him.