Suvechha Sarkar
In April 2013, Desiree Kast Sunford, lovingly known as Dezy, was asleep in her home in Yakima, Washington. However, the beautiful life of the 30-year-old turned into a nightmare when she was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation into the case eventually unraveled an alleged hidden relationship. The episode titled ‘Three’s Company Four’s a Crowd’ on Investigation Discovery’s ‘A Time to Kill’ sheds light on the circumstances of the case and the evidence that helped officials track the killer. The episode also features interviews with the law enforcement officials who helped bring the truth to light.
Desiree Sunford Had Made a Name For Herself as a Dedicated Educator
Born on August 26, 1982, Desiree Kast brought immense joy to the lives of Keith and Connie Kast. She was raised in Moses Lake, Washington, and was affectionately known as Dezy. Before she was born, her parents faced heartbreak when they lost their daughter, Echo Marie Kast, on January 4, 1981, shortly after birth. Growing up, Desiree shared a special bond with her brother Kasey. She was described as an honest and kind person with an incredible sense of humor. Her love for animals even led her to become a 4-H member. Besides that, she enjoyed attending dance lessons and loved playing softball. Additionally, Desiree’s interest in restoring her 1969 Chevelle helped her become a seasoned mechanic.
After graduating from Moses Lake High School in 2000, Desiree pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Central Washington University. Following her graduation, she began her professional journey by stepping into the role of a substitute teacher at Moses Lake High School and the surrounding districts. She then pursued a Master’s degree in Education and earned it in 2008. She eventually moved to Yakima, where she took on the full-time Art Teacher position at Wapato Middle School. There, Desiree was always involved in after-school activities and frequently took her pupils to art contests. In her personal life, she met her partner, Scott Sunford, at a young age. Together, they shared their love of cars, which brought them closer. On November 27, 2003, the couple finally tied the knot in the presence of their family and friends.
Desiree Met Her Untimely Demise From Gunshot Wounds Inside Her Home
Over the years, Desiree and Scott became passionate about motorcycles, leading her to buy her own motorbike. By 2013, she had become a proud member of Combat Veterans United, a motorcycle organization, and started participating in charity events on weekends. Besides that, Desiree always made time for her family during the holidays and joined them on camping trips every year. Around 10:30 pm on April 6, 2013, she spoke with her mother on the phone before going to sleep alone since Scott wasn’t home on that day. Around 3:30 am on April 7, Scott received several alarm alerts from his home. When he was unable to contact the 30-year-old even after several hours, he grew concerned. As Scott returned home from the Tri-Cities area around 8:30 pm, he called 911 to report the situation to the authorities.
When officials arrived at the scene, they found Scott waiting outside. He reportedly told them that a few days prior, his house had been broken into through a back window that had been boarded up, but the board was missing. As authorities entered the home, they found Desiree dead in the bedroom from multiple gunshots. They noticed a pool of blood on the floor and discovered several shell casings from the scene. Forensic experts reportedly deduced that she had passed away several hours prior. Near Desiree’s remains, they uncovered a bloody shoe print, with a size between 12 and 14. The autopsy report revealed that she was shot nine times, and her cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds.
Detectives Uncovered a Complex Relationship Dynamic During Interrogation
At the scene, officials first questioned Scott about his whereabouts on April 6 and April 7, 2013. According to reports, he explained that he left home around 8:30 am on April 6 to attend a funeral in the Tri-Cities, where he spent time with his father and grandfather. In his statements, Scott revealed that he wasn’t initially concerned about the alarm alerts because he assumed Desiree had mistakenly triggered them. Scott reportedly continued that around 12:30 am on April 7, he went to sleep at his friend Paige Blades’ house. As per police records, he insisted that he and Paige didn’t have an affair. When Paige was brought in for questioning, her statements matched Scott’s. However, she reportedly informed the investigators that she and Scott had been intimate on several occasions.
According to court records, during Scott’s second interrogation, he claimed that he, Desiree, and Paige were in a three-way relationship. When detectives searched Desiree’s cell phone records, they reportedly found text messages they said indicated she might’ve had one intimate encounter with Paige. As per records, Desiree once texted Paige, writing, “I still have to say that you two doing anything sexual would bother me.” As authorities dug deeper, they discovered that the friendship between the two women had deteriorated. The detectives noted that the conflict was highlighted in one of Paige’s texts to Desiree, which read: “I’m fairly convinced that in the event of your demise, I would be the chosen one.” Upon checking Scott and Paige’s phones’ location, digital forensic experts reportedly discovered they were not near Desiree’s home when she was killed.
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Officials Connected the Killer to Desiree’s Murder Through Forensic Evidence
Reports specify that the case gradually went cold until a tip informed the officials that a man named Marty Grismer was responsible for Desiree’s death. Detectives reportedly traced the tip back to Paige, who told them that she and Marty were good friends. According to official records, she alleged that when she told him about an argument between her and Scott regarding another woman in 2014, Marty said that he could kill the other woman just like Desiree. In her statements, Paige claimed that just a week before Desiree’s death, the former had told Marty about her pregnancy and Scott being the possible father. She continued that Marty allegedly committed the murder to make Paige happy.
Court records state that investigators let Paige speak with Marty while wearing a wire, but he denied knowing anything. Shortly after, authorities received a call from Marty’s company, reporting the discovery of a plastic bag with gun parts inside his office. According to reports, when ballistic experts examined the weapon parts and ammunition, it turned out to be a match to the shell casings that were found at the scene, making it a murder weapon. When Marty was questioned again, he denied his involvement in the murder but admitted to buying the gun. In his statements, he alleged that Paige was setting him up. In the meantime, officials executed a search warrant at his father’s home.
There, detectives found items like Desiree’s jewelry, her jewelry box, and a laptop, all of which went missing from her house during the robbery that happened a few days before her death. Ultimately, Marty was arrested in 2014 and was charged with first-degree murder. It is essential to note that Paige and Scott were later ruled out as suspects and never charged with the murder. Marty was set to face trial in January 2018, but entered an Alford plea deal for the lesser charge of second-degree murder in December 2017. On January 8, 2018, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Marty was also ordered to pay more than $14,000 in forms of restitution.
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