Dateline: Deadly Entanglement - Who was Desiree Sunford and what happened to her? Details from the latest true crime episode, explored

In the recent episode of NBC's Dateline, a deadly entanglement brought forward a Washington neighborhood case when Desiree Sunford, a 30-year-old middle school art teacher, was found shot in her own home.

What at first looked like a sad and tragic break-in soon untangled into a web of love and fascination. In a new episode, Dateline dives deep into the case, disclosing unnerving elements that left investigators curious about everything.

The episode premiered on Friday, March 14, 2025, at 9/8c on NBC. It includes interviews and evidence that have never been seen before, that, when put together, reveal the ominous killing and story of Desiree Sunford in 2013.

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A life cut short: Who was Desiree Sunford and why is her story on NBC’s Dateline: Deadly Entanglement?

According to the latest episode on Dateline, Desiree Sunford was an adored teacher, a friend, a sister, and a wife. She loved art and had a warm personality. She was married to a man named Scott Sunford and lived in Yakima, Washington.

However, their married life was one filled with secrets—secrets that would only come forward after she was shot dead in cold blood.

Part of what would transpire a few days later began on April 2, 2013, when Desiree and Scott faced a break-in at their home in Washington. Worried about protection and their well-being, they installed a security camera, so they would receive warnings on their mobile phones. A decision that was later proved to be life threatening for Desiree.

A few days later, Scott was out of town for a funeral, with Desiree being all alone in the house. In the middle of the night, their security camera alarm system somehow got activated.

But considering the possibility of it being their dog, Scott overlooked the notification buzzing on his phone —never picturing it could be the very second Desiree was being shot at home.

According to the true crime NBC show, when Scott returned home the next day, he found himself walking into a sickening crime scene. Their home had been broken into yet again, but this time around, his wife Desiree was dead and was shot multiple times.

"Who would want to kill Des? She had no enemies," her friend Kayla Lewis shared in her interview with Dateline.

Authorities were suspicious about Scott due to his calm reaction to his wife’s murder. The authorities then dug deep into his life and this is when they discovered a complex love triangle that altered the course of this murder case.

A deadly love triangle and a killer’s confession

Investigators found that Paige Blades, a 23-year-old woman, had been romantically involved with both Scott and Desiree.

The three of them had at one point shared a romantic relationship, but as stated by Paige, the relationship between all of them had come to an end long before Desiree's murder.

As highlighted by Dateline in their true crime NBC, new revelations and evidence piled up and helped in painting a much more intricate picture surrounding the case.

In 2014, Paige shook the investigating officials by revealing that it was her friend Marty Grismer who had murdered and shot Desiree.

Marty, overtly obsessed with Paige to a point where his judgements were all clouded when it came to her, murdered Desiree because he thought that she stood in the way of Paige’s happiness and he believed Desiree to be an “obstacle” between Scott and Paige.

Moreover, it was later discovered that Paige was pregnant at the time—but Scott was not the father of Paige’s child.

Marty Grismer was eventually put behind bars even though he pleaded not guilty for his involvement in the crime. The evidence against him was solid, and in 2017, he took on an Alford plea.

This simply meant he did not admit to the crime but acknowledged that there was more than enough proof for a verdict to be made. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and is at present serving his sentence at the Washington State Penitentiary.

But even with Marty currently kept at Washington State Penitentiary, long-drawn-out suspicions remain. Some still wonder whether Paige or Scott had a role in committing the crime, though a lack of proof has let them both roam around scot-free.

In her interview with the NBC show, Paige refutes any connection to the crime, maintaining that she had nothing to do with Desiree's murder.

When asked if Desiree would still be alive today, had the three of them never been in a relationship, Paige answered,

"I don’t think that’s fair. I believe that if Marty hadn’t been in my life, Des would still be alive."

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For those near to Desiree Sunford, the grief of her loss is still fresh. Her friends and family to this day fight for questions that remain unanswered, questioning if justice will ever be served.

The episode can be streamed on Peacock, starting Saturday, March 15.

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