SALT LAKE CITY — According to Cottonwood Heights Police, National Guardsman Matthew Johnson has been missing since Sept. 20. The multi-agency search continues north of Salt Lake County, and a former FBI agent explained that weather could become a factor.
“Most of the technologies they’re using, radar detection, rely heavily on heat sensors,” said retired Agent Greg Rogers.
Johnson's wife, Jennifer Gledhill, is charged with Johnson's murder.
After weeks of searching, several agencies are still looking for Johnson’s body. Police officials told FOX 13 News that they've been searching since Oct. 3.
Rogers, who was in the FBI for 25 years, shared that weather could impact the ongoing search.
"A decaying body lets off a good amount of heat and so there if the ground freezes those technologies aren't very effective,” he said.
With cooler temperatures heading to Utah, future forensics might also be affected.
"Depending on the method of the homicide — if there was a firearm involved, it’s not going to impact that too much," Rogers said. "But decomposition does make a big difference if there’s strangulation or something like that, so the sooner they find it, the better for forensics."
Rogers commends the agencies for their hard work to find Johnson's body.
"Dedicated a very good amount of resources. They’re taking this very seriously,” he said.
