Masako Yamada Kenley, a 53-year-old female, was reported missing by her husband on July 3, 2021, after she failed to meet coworkers for dinner the previous evening and did not return to her Sandy, Utah, home. This out-of-character disappearance prompted an immediate investigation by the Sandy City Police Department and a massive volunteer search effort. Her vehicle was soon discovered in a Costco parking lot, intensifying the search.
Tragically, on July 4, her body was found concealed in a heavily wooded area along the Jordan River, bringing the search to a somber conclusion.
The investigation into her death quickly identified it as a homicide. An autopsy would later reveal that Kenley had suffered from two gunshot wounds, one to the neck and another to the chest that struck her heart, as well as four stab wounds to her neck, one of which severed her carotid artery. The cause of death was determined to be a combination of these injuries. Investigators, utilizing cell phone data and surveillance footage, were able to piece together her last known movements. The evidence showed that she had been with a male acquaintance, 75-year-old William Richard O'Reilly, on the afternoon of July 2, the day she disappeared.
O'Reilly, a former coworker of Kenley's at the U.S. Post Office, was swiftly identified as a person of interest. Friends and colleagues described O'Reilly as having been obsessed with Kenley, with his behavior escalating after his retirement. This included claims of him following her, tracking her movements, and making threats. Further investigation revealed a complex and long-term relationship between the two, with some sources indicating a 16-year affair and allegations that O'Reilly was blackmailing Kenley to continue their sexual relationship. He had also allegedly placed a tracking device on a vehicle he had purchased for her.
William O'Reilly was arrested in connection with Kenley's murder on July 5, 2021. He was taken into custody at a local hospital following an apparent suicide attempt. O'Reilly admitted to investigators that he had turned off Kenley's phone and concealed her purse and one of her shoes in his vehicle. He initially gave conflicting accounts of their last encounter but later claimed she had ended their relationship after discovering the GPS tracker on her car. O'Reilly was charged with aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and desecration of a human body. In subsequent court proceedings, he claimed to be the father of one of Kenley's children and to have provided significant financial support to her family over the years, claims that prosecutors stated were unsubstantiated. O'Reilly was ordered to stand trial for Kenley's murder.
