By Tracie Sullivan, for Iron County Today
A Cedar City man, accused of murdering his mother, accepted a plea deal Friday just as jury selection was nearing its conclusion. In exchange for his guilty plea to the murder charge, all other charges against him were dismissed.
Joshua James Glover, 33, had been preparing to stand trial for the murder of his mother, 73-year-old Kay Gosewisch, whose remains were discovered in August 2020. The plea deal was finalized Friday as the final members of the jury were being selected, bringing an end to a trial that was scheduled this week.
Glover initially faced eight charges including: failure to stop at the command of police, possession of stolen financial cards, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, drug possession, reckless driving, and resisting arrest. The minimum sentence for the murder charge is 15 years to life in prison.
The case against Glover began in April 2020 when Gosewisch was initially reported missing. According to the court documents, Glover allegedly used his mother’s financial cards to withdraw money from her accounts in the months after her disappearance.
A suspicious attempted transaction alerted bank authorities, who then notified the police, initially treating the case as a missing person investigation before it evolved into a homicide case.
On August 18, investigators executed a search warrant at Goswisch’s Cedar City residence where they discovered human remains buried under a newly poured concrete slab in the backyard.
Forensic testing later confirmed that the remains were Gosewisch’s.
Prior to the discovery, Cedar City Police had named Glover a person of interest in his mother’s disappearance due to inconsistencies in his statements and suspicious financial activity.
His arrest on September 5, 2020, followed a high-speed chase. At the time, he led police through residential neighborhoods, driving recklessly and causing several minor collisions before crashing into a police vehicle.
Sentencing is set for September 10 following a presentence investigation (PSI) by Adult Probation and Parole. The PSI will provide comprehensive background information on Glover, including his criminal history, personal background, and any mitigating or aggravating factors that may influence sentencing.