Man accused in death of Sandy colleague denied bail before trial

SALT LAKE CITY – A 78-year-old man accused of killing his former co-worker and dumping her body near the Jordan River in Sandy remains in jail while he awaits trial.

William O'Reilly of South Jordan went on trial in July for the murder of Masako Yamada Kenley, who was shot and stabbed near Jordan River in 2021, after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.

At a hearing on Thursday, O'Reilly said he and Kenley had a years-long affair that he said resulted in a child.

O'Reilly claimed he was the father of at least one of Kenley's children, although prosecutors responded that there was no evidence of that. He told the judge he gave the Kenley family nearly $1 million over the years by paying off a house, buying cars and paying off credit card debt – so his “children could grow up in a stable environment.” It's unclear whether that claim is true.

While O'Reilly disclosed the alleged affair and waived his right to a preliminary hearing, he did not admit to hurting Kenley. He and his attorney, Rudy Bautista, also asked the judge to release him on bail while he awaits trial so he can receive medical care and earn money for his children.

“The defendant wants to continue to provide child support, but he cannot do so from prison because it is impossible,” O'Reilly said, reading from a document.

Bautista told the court that his client was entitled to housing on the VA campus and asked the court to consider his age, his “lifetime in public service” and the nature of his offense (which, according to the attorney, was not a random crime) when deciding whether to grant him bail.

However, Judge Paul Parker found that O'Reilly posed a danger to the community, pointing to his efforts to conceal his connection to the alleged crime, his fixation on the victim's family and a “disturbing” level of anger.

“It was clearly a revenge killing,” the judge said.

Evidence points to O'Reilly, says prosecutor

At Thursday's hearing, Salt Lake County Assistant District Attorney Melanie Serassio also disclosed details of the investigation that had not previously been made public but would have been disclosed in the testimony had O'Reilly not waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

She said investigators were able to find Kenley by talking to people at the post office where he worked. She had arranged to have dinner with those coworkers but never showed up on the night of her murder.

Serassio said a colleague could testify that O'Reilly had stalked Kenley. The prosecutor also called O'Reilly an example of “typical” domestic violence, a man who was controlling and freaked out when things didn't go his way.

Serassio said prosecutors have video evidence showing O'Reilly and Kenley going to a hotel together on the night of Kenley's disappearance and leaving about an hour later. The video also shows O'Reilly returning alone about an hour and 10 minutes later, wearing shorts instead of pants. In between those videos, she said, the car the man and woman left the house in was filmed at a 7-Eleven near where Kenley's body was later found.

Serassio said when police searched O'Reilly's car, they found some of Kenley's personal items inside, including her purse.

She said the day after investigators believed Kenley was murdered, O'Reilly brought a gun to his brother-in-law and said it jammed when he fired it into a ditch. Serassio said O'Reilly asked him to help him repair and clean the gun and encouraged his brother-in-law to keep the gun until he was sure it worked again.

The prosecutor said Kenley was both shot and stabbed. He also noted that the gun may have jammed, causing O'Reilly to reach for another weapon.

Serassio said Kenley's body was difficult to find and investigators needed the help of cadaver dogs to find it because it was left in such a remote area. She said the crime scene looked like the perpetrator had staged a sexual assault to make it look like a random crime.

However, Serassio said there was no evidence that anyone else was involved in the murder.

“She told him that she was going to leave him and that he would not allow it,” the prosecutor speculated.

Serassio called O'Reilly a “living time bomb” and claimed he would leave if released on bail and there would be serious consequences if he acted out.

“He understands that the sentence will be a life sentence,” she said, referring to his age.

She said there were other potential targets of his anger, including those who led investigators to his trail, Kenley's family, and his ex-wife and her family.

Brandon Merrill, an attorney for Kenley's family, read a statement from Kenley's husband, who said he would be “terrified” if O'Reilly were released. The statement said he and his children would oppose O'Reilly's release under any circumstances.

“I want to tell the truth”

O'Reilly, meanwhile, claimed that while he is in prison, he is costing taxpayers money – but outside of prison, he can be a productive citizen. He said that because of his age, he is not a flight risk. His only desire is to increase his wealth so he can leave money to his descendants, and outside of prison, as a veteran, he would have access to good medical care.

“I don't bear any grudges against anyone,” O'Reilly said.

He also read from court documents from his 2022 divorce from his second wife, detailing how much money he had given to the Kenley family. He said his family learned of his romantic relationship with Kenley by looking at the expenses.

When he began reading text messages between him and Kenley, supposedly to prove he was being manipulated by her, the judge tried to stop O'Reilly from sharing information that could be used against him. Despite this, O'Reilly expressed a desire to continue.

“I understand that, but I want to tell the truth,” he said.

O'Reilly's next hearing is scheduled for September 23.