Kriti Mehrotra
When Wapato Middle School art teacher Desiree Sunford was found shot to death in her Terrace Heights home in Yakima County, Washington, it left the entire nation baffled to the core. That’s because, as explored in Investigation Discovery’s ‘A Time to Kill: Three’s Company Four’s a Crowd’ and NBC’s ‘Dateline: Deadly Entanglement,’ officials had no lead for over a year. Her husband, Scott Sunford, was the primary suspect throughout this period owing to his affair, lies, as well as strange behavior, but it turned out he had absolutely no hand in the murder.
Scott Sunford Was Initially a Person of Interest
It was back in 2003 when Scott Sunford had happily tied the knot with Desiree in a cozy ceremony surrounded by all their loved ones, yet things had changed between them over the decade. Not only had time taken its toll, but the fact they also spent most of their days dedicated to different fields had affected their union — she was creative, whereas he was a veteran turned trainer. In fact, the former National Guard official was an instructor at the local military base training center by the time 2013 rolled around, meaning he had the knowledge and the skills to use weapons.
Therefore, when Desiree was found dead with nine bullet wounds riddling her body, her husband Scott became the primary suspect, owing to how her murder looked like a crime of passion. The truth is he had dialed 911 at around 8:30 pm on April 7, 2013, to get a welfare check on his wife despite already being on his way home from a funeral in the Tri-Cities because she hadn’t responded to him in hours. When officials arrived at the Sunford residence, they found him outside with his weapon and a torch drawn out, yet he hadn’t stepped in because he didn’t know if any stranger was there.
According to reports, their home alarm had gone off at around 3:30 am, yet Scott didn’t worry about his wife until hours later because he had thought she had taken their dog out in the middle of the night. It wasn’t until he realized the alarm was set in a matter indicating she was inside that he realized something was wrong, especially as she wasn’t texting him back or picking up any of his calls. The fact Scott hadn’t gone in to check on his wife despite knowing how to handle himself in tough situations rubbed officials the wrong way, so they almost immediately zeroed in on him as well as their marriage.
Scott Sunford Was Involved in a Complicated Affair at the Time of His Wife’s Murder
Apart from Scott’s inaction, investigators were also bothered by how he seemed more interested in showing off his weapon than asking about what had transpired, even after they had confirmed his wife’s brutal murder. Thus, they took him to the station to be interviewed, where he revealed he had actually spent the previous night at the place of a mutual friend, Paige Blades, asserting it was completely platonic. His phone records backed his statements as well as the timeline, and so did Paige when she was questioned the next day, but she iterated they were not just friends as he had falsely suggested.
During his interrogation, Scott admitted that he and Paige were involved in a sexual relationship but claimed that his wife knew about it because it had allegedly once been a three-way connection. He further alleged that Desiree eventually grew uncomfortable with how close the duo was getting, resulting in her making her feelings clear and stepping away from the situation. Officials then also uncovered texts between the two women that clarified Paige wanted a full-fledged relationship with Scott, so they wondered if she was the mastermind behind the murder.
However, owing to a lack of further leads, possible hypotheses, as well as concrete evidence against either Scott or Paige or both, Desiree’s murder case went cold for over a year. It was only when Paige accused her co-worker turned close friend Marty Grismer of confessing the shooting to her that the matter picked up again, and it was ultimately proven that he, indeed, was the real killer. As per records, he allegedly killed Desiree upon learning Paige was allegedly pregnant with Scott’s child to remove her from the picture altogether. Yet, another theory is that he was obsessed with Desiree, and it resulted in him taking her life to frame Scott because she had chosen him.
Having Retired, Scott Sunford is Leading a Content Life Today
While Marty Grimes was arrested for Desiree’s murder in November 2014, it wasn’t until he entered an Alford plea in late 2017 that the cloud of suspicion really lifted from Scott’s shoulders. Since then, from what we can tell, he has chosen to live his life well away from the spotlight so as to really embrace all his experiences without worrying about nosy, prying eyes. It’s imperative to note that he and Paige actually do not share a child together – she had become pregnant by an ex-boyfriend, not him – and had split up by the time late 2014 rolled around. It also appears as if the father of three, all from a previous relationship, has not been in any serious public relationship since.
We should also mention that Scott is now retired, and it seems like he is currently making the best of his free time in Kennewick, Washington, where loved ones surround him at every turn. Prior to this, the veteran turned military trainer was reportedly a Howler Monkey Herder, worked in the Social Security Administration, served as a Manager at Astley Enterprises and Tri-Cities Motor Sales, and held many more such positions. However, today, the bike enthusiast is simply leading his best possible life while still keeping the memories of his late wife as well as his late son, Jeffrey Sunford, who unexpectedly passed away in 2019, alive in his heart. In fact, he has since even organized two Remembrance Rides from the Tri-Cities to Yakama to Moses Lake for Desiree, who shared his passion for biking.
Read More: Marty Grismer: Where is Desiree Sunford’s Killer Now?
