SANDY, Utah — A probable cause statement has provided new details in the death of 53-year-old Masako Kenley of Sandy and the arrest of a suspect.
Kenley had been reported as missing by family on July 3. She had planned to visit friends in Layton the day before, but had never arrived.
READ: Search continues for missing and endangered woman out of Salt Lake County
Investigators learned that Kenley was acquainted with a male named William O'Reilly, age 75.
Through call records and video surveillance, they were able to ascertain that O’Reilly and Kenley were together in the afternoon hours of July 2.
One of the last reported locations of Kenley’s phone was in the area of 8900 South and 1000 West in a heavily wooded area near the Jordan River.
Utah State cadaver dogs were sent to the area and located Kenley’s body in a ditch in a secluded area of phragmite and tall grasses. The body was concealed beneath heavy layers of the grasses and foliage.
The Office of the Medical Examiner responded and identified a gunshot wound to Kenley’s chest. An official cause of death is to be determined through an autopsy at a later time.
READ: Sandy woman found dead; man faces aggravated murder charge
Local business surveillance video shows Kenley’s white van pulling into that area in the afternoon of July 2 and leaving 20 minutes later.
In an interview, O'Reilly admitted to turning off Kenley’s phone and that he had removed a GPS tracking device from her van and concealed it in his personal vehicle.
Investigators also found Kenley’s purse and one of her shoes in O’Reilly’s vehicle and he admitted to placing the items in the trunk of his vehicle.
O'Reilly was taken into custody by Sandy police detectives in the early morning hours of July 5 at the Salt Lake Regional Hospital, after he had overdosed in an apparent suicide attempt.
He will be booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of first-degree felony aggravated murder, as well as abuse or desecration of a body and obstruction of justice.
O'Reilly was ordered to be held without bail.
