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| Kevin Ellis: Where Is He Now? Inside the 2024 Matthew Restelli Shooting Case. |
Kevin Ellis remains behind bars in Utah after being convicted over the 2024 shooting of his brother-in-law, Matthew Restelli, a case that prosecutors said was far more calculated than the self-defence story first given to police. What initially looked like a chaotic family confrontation at a house in American Fork soon became a much more complicated investigation, involving allegations of a planned killing, a staged crime scene and a family divided over what happened. The case is also examined in NBC’s Dateline episode The Family Plot.
Police were called to the American Fork property in July 2024 after reports of shots being fired. When officers arrived, they found Matthew had been shot multiple times inside his in-laws’ home. Kevin acknowledged that he had fired the weapon, but told investigators that he had done so because Matthew allegedly threatened him with a knife.
That explanation did not survive the investigation for very long.
Detectives examining the scene found a knife in Matthew’s right hand, but photographs reportedly showed the weapon positioned with its blade facing inward. Investigators said that detail did not fit the account that Matthew had been advancing towards Kevin as an immediate threat. There was also a reported delay between the shooting and the call to police, giving investigators another reason to question what had happened inside the house.
According to prosecutors, Kevin fired seven shots, hitting Matthew in the back and chest. The prosecution later alleged that the knife had been placed in Matthew’s hand after the shooting to make the incident resemble self-defence. It was, in other words, not exactly the sort of crime scene that made investigators say, “Well, that clears everything up.”
Kevin had been living at his mother Tracey Grist’s house in American Fork around the time of the shooting. Investigators said several of his belongings were there, and cocaine was allegedly among the items found during the investigation. His background also included a number of previous charges and convictions between 2007 and 2014 involving battery and multiple DUIs.
The case became even more complicated because of Kevin’s family connections. His sister, Kathryn Restelli, had reportedly moved into their mother’s home weeks before Matthew was shot. She had told her mother that her marriage was failing and that she wanted to leave, while also worrying about what separation could mean for her children.
Prosecutors alleged that Kathryn and Tracey subsequently discussed a plan to kill Matthew and attempted to involve Kevin. Kevin’s lawyers presented a different account, arguing that Tracey had exploited his vulnerable mental state and manipulated him into taking part. In a phone conversation after the shooting, Kevin reportedly said he should have stopped what was happening.
When the case reached trial in January 2026, Kathryn became a key prosecution witness after reaching a plea agreement. She testified that she overheard Tracey and Kevin discussing putting a knife in Matthew’s hand. Kathryn said she never personally discussed the plan with Kevin and claimed Tracey was the person who took him to lunch on the day of the shooting and talked to him about the situation.
Kathryn also testified that Kevin was allegedly under the influence of drugs when he shot Matthew. His defence team maintained that he was not an active participant in a wider plan and had essentially been deceived into carrying out the killing.
The jury ultimately reached a mixed verdict. Kevin Ellis was convicted of first-degree felony murder, second-degree obstruction of justice, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, third-degree possession of a gun as a restricted person and drug possession. However, he was acquitted of conspiracy to commit murder.
His sentence reflected the range of convictions. Kevin received 15 years to life for murder, along with 1–15 years for obstruction of justice. He was also given two consecutive terms of 0–5 years for domestic violence in the presence of a child, while a 0–5-year sentence connected to firearm transfer was ordered to run concurrently.
So, where is Kevin Ellis now? He is incarcerated at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah. Based on the information available in the case material, further details about his parole eligibility have not been made public.
There is something particularly striking about this case because the first version of events was relatively straightforward: a shooting, a knife and an argument over self-defence. Then investigators started pulling at the loose threads and found that almost nothing about the scene was quite as simple as it initially appeared. The knife placement, the timing of the police call and the testimony surrounding the family’s alleged discussions all became important pieces of the prosecution's case.
The defence, meanwhile, tried to portray Kevin as someone manipulated by circumstances and family pressure rather than as the architect of the wider plan. The jury's verdict reflected that distinction: he was convicted of murder but acquitted of conspiracy. It is a reminder that criminal cases can contain several competing versions of the same event, and that a jury ultimately has to separate what is proved from what is merely alleged. Family disputes are complicated enough without adding a staged crime scene to the mix.
Today, Kevin’s case remains tied to the Central Utah Correctional Facility, where he is serving his sentence following the 2026 trial. The story also leaves plenty for viewers of Dateline: The Family Plot to unpack, particularly the conflicting accounts given by members of the Restelli-Ellis family and the evidence that changed investigators’ understanding of the shooting. What do you make of the verdict and the conflicting testimony in the case? Share your thoughts on whether the evidence changed how you understood Kevin’s role.