A Sandy woman who went missing last week and was later found dead near the Jordan River was shot in the chest, police said in arrest documents. But law enforcement are still waiting on the official cause of death.
Cadaver dogs found Masako Kenley’s body concealed beneath dense grasses and foliage near the river in Murray late Sunday night. The arrest documents, filed Tuesday, give few clues into how Kenley knew the 75-year-old man accused of killing her.
Kenley and the man are described only as acquaintances, but the documents describe the lengths that police allege he went to in covering up the homicide.
Police arrested the 75-year-old West Jordan man early Monday on suspicion of aggravated murder, abuse or desecration of a body, and obstruction of justice in connection with Kenley’s death.
Investigators used call records and video surveillance to place the two together Friday afternoon, about the time Kenley went missing.
Once in custody, the man admitted to being with Kenley and turning off her phone, according to the probable cause statement. He told investigators they were in the north Salt Lake area, but phone records place them closer to 8900 South and 1000 West, which is where the phone last pinged before being powered down and where the police dogs found Kenley’s body.
The man also told officers he removed a GPS tracking device from Kenley’s van and hid it in his own vehicle, along with her purse and one of her shoes. Sandy Police are still investigating where the device came from and what it was used for.
The 75-year-old is being held without bail at the Salt Lake County jail, according to jail records. Sandy police took him to jail early Tuesday from the Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. He was at the hospital after an apparent suicide attempt.
