Valerian O’Steen was found guilty of fatally beating his estranged girlfriend, 26-year-old Marissa Grimes, and hiding her body beneath his home.
A Texas jury has sentenced Valerian “Will” O’Steen, 28, to death on Monday for the 2022 capital murder of his estranged girlfriend and mother of two, Marissa Grimes. The sentence was announced by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office on September 22.
According to prosecutors, O’Steen had a history of domestic violence against Grimes, 26. In January 2022, he was arrested on domestic violence charges after allegedly threatening her life and holding her against her will.
He was later released from jail with a GPS ankle monitor and was ordered to stay away from Grimes. Prosecutors said O’Steen was angered by the charges and the monitor, and he allegedly told others that he planned to kill Grimes.
Though Grimes’ family had convinced her to move to West Texas, she and O’Steen reportedly began communicating again. On the night of February 12, 2022, Grimes, who was driving a U-Haul for her move, stopped by O’Steen’s house to say goodbye.
Prosecutors said the two went to a neighbor’s home where O’Steen allegedly threatened Grimes with a gun.
When Grimes went missing, her family reported her disappearance to the authorities.
Police later found her abandoned U-Haul near O’Steen’s home. During a search of O’Steen’s residence, officers discovered Grimes’ decomposing body wrapped in blankets and a tarp in the crawl space.
“He dug her a shallow grave and lived above her for 10 days,” said Assistant District Attorney Allenna Bangs.
The medical examiner determined that Grimes died from blunt force trauma to the head and ruled her death a homicide.
Prosecutors said that Grimes had been “beaten to death” and “tortured,” sustaining a broken arm, nose, and ribs, along with lacerations and two black eyes.
READ: Illinois Man Allegedly Shot Ex-Girlfriend To ‘Prove’ His Love To New Girlfriend
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