SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Lawyers on behalf of Utah mother Jennifer Gledhill accused of murdering her ex-husband who was reported missing in September, fought a protection order issued earlier this week.

The protective order, issued by 3rd District Court Criminal Commissioner Todd Olsen, barred Gledhill, 41, from seeing his children during preliminary hearings. The children, aged 11, 7 and 5, are currently living with family during their stay. DCFS custody.

Gledhill’s lawyer, Jeremy Deus, continued his argument, saying the protection order was a harsh punishment for someone who had “already lost his freedom at that point.”

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“The state, the city and the police departments that investigated this case are essentially trying to set fire to everything my client loves,” said her attorney Jeremy Deus. “Everything around it, they’re trying to take it away. I think this pre-trial protective order is part of it.

Prosecutor Emily Paulos argued that the children could be potential witnesses in the case and expressed concern that Gledhill could influence their testimony.

“We address the fact that these children are very young and impressionable. You can’t ring a bell,” Paulos argued. She went on to assert that whatever the Court’s decision, it does not necessarily have to be the final order in the case, saying the State was prepared to review the protection order in the future as that the case and the investigation were progressing.

Judge Mow handed small victories to both sides, ruling to remove the protective order issued by Commissioner Olsen but implementing a no-contact order between Gledhill and his children. He said the two orders are virtually the same, except they remove any criminal penalties.

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“As the state has pointed out, I have a number of obstruction of justice charges here and that gives me pause when we talk about communication with potential witnesses,” Mow explained.

The Court did not discuss whether or not Gledhill could be released on bail, adjourning the matter until Friday, November 22.

Gledhill faces a first-degree felony charge after investigators accused her of shooting and killing her ex-husband, Matthew Johnson, in the head in their Cottonwood Heights home. Gledhill then allegedly buried Johnson in an undisclosed location.

Johnson, a Utah National Guardsman, was reported missing Sept. 20 after failing to report for duty. As of Friday October 25, his body had not been found but the search continues.

Earlier this week, Gledhill’s parents, Thomas Ray Gledhill, 71, and Rosalie Christianson Gledhill, 67, were also arrested in connection with the case. Both men face four counts of second-degree obstruction of justice for first-degree criminal conduct. Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill were accused of helping their daughter clean her house to eliminate evidence of the alleged murder.

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