Murder charges filed in death of Sandy woman
Jul 12, 2021, 11:41 AM | Updated: Jul 13, 2021, 7:47 am
Masako Kenley (Sandy Police)
(Sandy Police)
SANDY, Utah — Murder charges have been filed against William O’Reilly, 75, in the death of 53-year-old Masako Kenley from Sandy.
In the documents filed by Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill’s office, O’Reilly is now facing charges of first-degree murder, a felony charge for discharging a firearm that resulted in a serious bodily injury as well as obstruction of justice.
The charging documents also painting a picture of what may have happened before Kenley’s murder.
The probable cause statement against O’Reilly said he and his alleged victim, Masako Kenley, knew each other from work, but prosecutors have not released any details about the nature of their relationship.
Prosecutors said Sandy Police detectives found video surveillance that showed O’Reilly and Kenley leaving a business in Midvale together on July 2 at 4:05 pm where they both entered Kenley’s van.
According to O’Reilly’s statements, the two had planned to go to dinner but those plans fell apart. He also claims Kenley became upset after he placed a GPS tracker on her van.
“Masako got upset with O’Reilly and told him they were ‘done’ and to take the GPS tracker off her vehicle,” the documents say. “And, according to O’Reilly, he removed that.”
Detectives said that O’Reilly drove Kenley’s van from the business they met at in Midvale into a heavily wooded area near 8900 S and 1000 W close to where Kenley’s body was later discovered.
20 minutes later they said the vehicle left the area without Kenley.
Autopsy details were also released showing that Kenley suffered two gunshot wounds and four stab wounds. The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner said either of those traumas could be responsible for her death and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
The Deseret News is reporting O’Reilly may have attempted suicide because he was embarrassed with police vehicles parked in front of his home where the neighbors could see.
Prosecutors have also asked that O’Reilly be held without bail.
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