“Deadly Entanglement”: Dateline Reports on Desiree Sunford Homicide March 14 2025

On March 14, 2025, Dateline NBC will present Deadly Entanglement, a harrowing deep dive into the 2013 murder of 30-year-old Desiree Sunford in Yakima, Washington. Hosted by reporter Blayne Alexander, the episode unravels the shocking circumstances surrounding Desiree’s death, exposing a tangled web of betrayal, deception, and fatal obsession.

The case, which began with what seemed to be a simple burglary, spiraled into a complex investigation involving a love triangle, an unexpected confession, and an Alford plea that left lingering doubts about the full truth.

The Break-In That Led to Tragedy

On April 2, 2013, Desiree Sunford and her husband, Scott Sunford, experienced a terrifying home invasion. Their house had been ransacked, with electronics and a firearm among the stolen items. The couple, shaken by the violation of their personal space, decided to take immediate action to protect themselves.

They installed a home security system but opted to have alerts sent only to their phones rather than notifying the police directly. This decision, made to help them adjust to the system, would prove to be a fatal miscalculation. Just days later, Desiree would be dead, and her husband would return home to a second break-in—one with far graver consequences.

The Night of the Murder

On the morning of April 6, 2013, Scott Sunford left Yakima to attend his aunt’s funeral in the Tri-Cities, two hours away. That night, while he was still out of town, the couple’s security system sent him multiple notifications around 3:24 AM, indicating movement in the house. He dismissed the alerts, assuming that his dog had accidentally triggered the system.

The next evening, Scott began his drive home but became increasingly anxious when repeated calls to Desiree went unanswered. Panicked, he pulled over to request a police welfare check. However, he arrived home before officers did. Upon reaching the house, he immediately noticed that the back door had been forced open once again.

A Crime Scene That Raised Questions

When police arrived at the Sunford residence, they found Scott standing outside with a pistol drawn. Despite his military background, he claimed he was too afraid to enter the house alone. Inside, officers discovered a gruesome scene—Desiree Sunford’s body lay on the bedroom floor, riddled with bullets. She had attempted to crawl away from her attacker before succumbing to her injuries.

Near her body, investigators found a bloody shoe print, a crucial piece of evidence that would later lead them to the killer. Suspicion initially fell on Scott, particularly due to his eerily calm demeanor during questioning. Detectives noted that he displayed no visible signs of grief and did not ask how his wife had died.

A Twisted Love Triangle Emerges

As police dug deeper into Desiree’s personal life, they uncovered an unusual relationship dynamic. Scott and Desiree had been involved in a three-way relationship with 23-year-old Paige Blades, a woman who had briefly lived with them. When questioned, Paige admitted to the relationship but provided Scott with an alibi—he had been at her house in Warden, Washington, on the night of the murder.

Scott’s DNA did not match the evidence found at the crime scene, nor did his shoe size match the bloody footprint. Similarly, Paige’s phone records placed her nowhere near the crime scene that night. The investigation stalled as detectives struggled to find a direct link between any known individuals and Desiree’s murder.

A Shocking Confession

The case remained cold for a year until an anonymous tip led detectives to a surprising suspect—Paige Blades herself. In an unexpected turn, Paige came forward to name her friend, 26-year-old Marty Grismer, as the killer.

According to Paige, Grismer had been infatuated with her and harbored a deep-seated jealousy over her relationship with Scott. In a chilling confession, he claimed that he had murdered Desiree to clear the path for Scott and Paige to be together. However, his plan had a fatal flaw—Paige was pregnant, but the child was not Scott’s.

The Evidence Against Marty Grismer

Detectives quickly turned their attention to Marty Grismer, a man with no prior criminal record. When they searched his residence and workplace, they discovered gun parts hidden in his office. Ballistics testing confirmed that the barrel had been used in the weapon that killed Desiree.

The most damning piece of evidence, however, was the bloody shoe print found at the crime scene. A forensic analysis confirmed that it matched a pair of Grismer’s shoes. Despite the mounting evidence, Grismer denied any involvement, insisting that he was being framed by Scott and Paige.

The Alford Plea and Sentencing

With overwhelming forensic evidence against him, Grismer ultimately entered an Alford plea—a legal maneuver that allowed him to maintain his innocence while acknowledging that the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for second-degree murder.

At his sentencing, Desiree’s mother, Connie Kast, delivered an emotional impact statement, describing the pain of losing her daughter as something she would never recover from. She condemned Grismer as “evil” and urged the court to impose the harshest possible sentence. The judge, acknowledging that no outcome could bring Desiree back, finalized the sentence but expressed regret that justice felt incomplete.

Lingering Doubts and Unanswered Questions

Even with Grismer behind bars, many questions about the case remain. Some suspect that Scott and Paige may have played a greater role in the crime than was ever proven. Grismer himself claimed that he was being set up, and the prosecution admitted that certain pieces of evidence—such as statements from Grismer’s cellmate, who alleged that Grismer had planned to frame Scott—would have been inadmissible in court.

Despite the lingering doubts, there was never enough evidence to charge anyone else. Scott Sunford and Paige Blades remain free, while Grismer serves out his 15-year sentence.

A Tragic Tale of Love, Betrayal, and Murder

The murder of Desiree Sunford is a haunting reminder of how jealousy, obsession, and deception can lead to devastating consequences. Dateline NBC’s Deadly Entanglement will take viewers through the twists and turns of this unsettling case, shedding light on the tangled relationships and tragic choices that led to an innocent woman’s death.

Tune in on Friday, March 14, at 9:00/8:00c for an in-depth look at one of Yakima’s most perplexing murder cases.