The Murder of Desiree Sunford: Evidence, Alford Plea, and Sentence

The murder of Desiree Sunford was committed by Marty Dean Grismer, a Moses Lake man who shot the 30-year-old Wapato Middle School art teacher seven times inside her Terrace Heights home on April 7, 2013. The killing was initially reported as a possible burglary, but the investigation uncovered a secret affair between Sunford’s husband and a woman who had been part of their household, and it was that woman’s tip that eventually led police to Grismer. He entered an Alford plea to second-degree murder in 2018 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.¹

What Happened on April 7, 2013

Scott Sunford called 911 at 8:28 p.m. that evening to say he had been out of town and could not reach his wife. He told the dispatcher he suspected a burglary, pointing out that he had been robbed the previous weekend.² Deputies found Desiree dead inside the home. She had been shot seven times, five of them in the head.³

The Marriage, the Mistress, and the Threats

Scott Sunford told investigators that he and Desiree had been in a “polyamorous” three-way relationship with a woman named Paige Blades, describing it as “a little experiment.” Blades had met the couple in 2011, and the arrangement grew to the point where she shared living expenses with them.³

The reality behind the arrangement was uglier. Desiree had told Paige in text messages, “I still have to say that you two doing anything sexual would bother me,” and Paige had replied that sex between her and Scott was “out of the question.” Former Yakima County Sheriff’s Deputy Ed Levesque told investigators that Scott and Paige were in fact carrying on a secret affair.²

The friendship between the two women collapsed. Investigators recovered messages from Paige that read, “I’m fairly convinced that in the event of your demise, I would be the chosen one,” and “I’ve been wanting to do away with you for quite a while now.” Desiree had asked Paige to stay away from her and her family.²

Why Scott Sunford Was Not Charged

Scott Sunford was formally considered a suspect, according to Yakima County Sheriff’s Detective Chad Michael.⁴ Both he and Paige Blades said they were together at Paige’s home, roughly 100 miles from the scene, when Desiree was killed. Cell phone records placed them there, and detectives found no physical evidence tying either of them to the shooting itself.²

The Tip That Broke the Case

The case went cold for more than a year. In mid-2015, investigators received an anonymous tip naming Marty Dean Grismer, a 27-year-old from Moses Lake. The tip was later traced back to Paige Blades.³ Blades told detectives Grismer was a coworker she had briefly dated, said he was “obsessed” and “infatuated” with her and “worships the ground I walk on,” and claimed he had confessed to her that he killed Desiree to “clear the way” for her to be with Scott.²

The Evidence Against Marty Grismer

Grismer was arrested in November 2014 and charged with first-degree murder.⁵ The strongest physical evidence came from his employer, where pieces of a gun were discovered hidden in the office. The weapon was traced to Grismer, and ballistics matched the shots fired at the scene.² Questioned by detectives, Grismer accused Blades of being the killer and said she had possession of his gun at the time. Investigators did not find his account credible.³

The case had a serious weak spot. A former cellmate had told investigators Grismer confessed to the killing while in jail, said he was obsessed with Desiree, and had tried to frame her husband. The cellmate later recanted, said he had made the story up, and refused to testify, citing gang connections.¹

The Alford Plea and 15-Year Sentence

Senior deputy prosecutor Troy Clements said that without the cellmate’s testimony, the state could not be sure it could prove Grismer committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, and that some of the strongest evidence would have been inadmissible at trial.⁶ The original charge had been aggravated first-degree murder. Prosecutors negotiated a plea rather than risk acquittal.

On January 8, 2018, Grismer entered an Alford plea to second-degree murder before Yakima County Superior Court Judge Richard Bartheld. An Alford plea lets a defendant maintain innocence while conceding the state has enough evidence to likely secure a conviction. Grismer was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay $14,000 in restitution.¹

Desiree’s mother, Connie Kast, addressed the court. “She was young and gifted and had so much going for her, so much to live for and so much to give. When you lose a child, time does not go on. It comes to a dead halt. I didn’t know such a level of pain could exist.”¹

Where Things Stand

Neither Paige Blades nor Scott Sunford was charged. Investigators concluded Grismer acted alone and said they found no evidence tying either of them to the killing.² Blades’s tip was the break that led to the arrest, though her text messages to Desiree and her affair with Scott left questions for the family that the case never resolved.

Scott and Paige were no longer together after the case concluded. A pregnancy that had figured into the investigation’s background turned out not to involve Scott as the father. Detective Chad Michael confirmed the investigation was closed.⁴ Connie Kast told reporters that Scott remained “running around happy-go-lucky” and that she still had suspicions about whether he had a role in planning her daughter’s murder.

1
Yakima Herald-Republic. Judge Sentences Moses Lake Man to 15 Years for Slaying Terrace Heights Woman
2
Oxygen. Who Killed Desiree Sunford
3
Oxygen. What Happened to Desiree Sunford
4
True Crime News. Mistress Speaks Out About Details in Murder Case
5
Yakima Herald-Republic. Murder Charges Filed in Death of Terrace Heights Woman
6
NBC Right Now. Man Who Murdered Wapato Middle School Teacher Sentenced to 15 Years