Dateline: Deadly Entanglement - Where is Scott Sunford now?

A few years ago, Dateline brought the Desiree Sunford murder case into focus with Deadly Entanglement. However, one question from the case remains a trending query to this date: Where is Scott Sunford now?

Almost more than a decade after Desiree was found shot dead inside the Yakima County home that she shared with her husband, Scott has decided to walk away from the public eye completely.

He was extremely scrutinized during the investigation because of his behavior, his affair, and the extremely strange details surrounding the case, but he was never charged with Desiree’s murder.

Today, Scott reportedly lives a quiet life in Kennewick, Washington, far from the public that once doubted his name.

Dateline: Deadly Entanglement - Where is Scott Sunford now?

Scott Sunford became the center of suspicion almost immediately

When Desiree Sunford was killed all the way back in April 2013, investigators looked pretty closely at Scott from the very start of the case being open.

The couple had recently dealt with a break-in at their home, and they'd installed a security system because of it. However, instead of the alerts going directly to the police, notifications were limited to their phones.

This right here became a major detail in the case.

Scott Sunford (Image Via: Dateline NBC, YouTube)

According to NBC's Dateline, Scott was away attending a funeral when the alarm went off during the night. He first believed it was caused by their dog, and he did not react to the alarms going off right away.

By the next evening, Desiree had stopped answering calls and texts. Soon, he decided to contact the authorities for a welfare check while going back home himself.

The police found Scott outside the house with a weapon and flashlight, refusing to enter because he thought someone could still be inside. According to Dateline, the investigators were unsettled by how calm he appeared even while his wife was found lying dead inside the house.

His military background also raised more questions because he had weapons training and had a lot of experience in handling high-pressure situations.

The case only became messier once the detectives found out a few details about Scott’s relationship with Paige Blades.

The complicated relationship that changed the course of the investigation

One reason the case grabbed so much attention on Dateline was because of the relationship between Scott, Desiree, and Paige Blades. During the questioning, Scott had clearly admitted he and Paige were seeing each other.

Paige Blades (Image Via: Dateline NBC, YouTube)

Paige also later confirmed that the relationship once did include all three of them.

In a Dateline footage that was referenced during the episode, Scott told investigators,

“Her name’s Paige. She’s a mutual friend.”

Paige also told police,

“I had a relationship with both... slept in their bed.”

These revelations completely changed the course of the investigation. Because of this, the detectives started to look into angles regarding jealousy or obsession, and if these angles could have played a role in Desiree’s death.

According to the synopsis of the episode, new testimonies and evidence eventually “poke holes in the story of a harmonious three-way affair.”

Dateline correspondent Blayne Alexander described the case as complicated. She told NBC Insider,

“There are a LOT of layers to this story.”

She also said many of Desiree’s friends still feel justice was never fully served.

At one point, the suspicion even turned toward Paige herself because text messages reportedly showed she wanted a more serious relationship with Scott.

Marty Grismer’s arrest changes Desiree's murder case for Scott

According to Dateline, for more than a year, the case was stalled and did not have clear answers to any questions. Then, suddenly Paige Blades came forward with a huge claim. She accused her friend Marty Grismer of confessing to the killing of Desiree.

Paige Blades and Marty Grismer (Image Via: Dateline NBC, YouTube)

According to investigators, Marty had become obsessed with Paige and believed that removing Desiree would clear the way for Scott and Paige to be together. Another rumor that had been floating around at the time was that Paige was that pregnant with Scott’s child, though that turned out to be a false claim.

Marty Grismer was arrested in 2014. Even though he denied being the killer, he entered an Alford plea in 2017, acknowledging that prosecutors had more than enough evidence to convict him.

He received a 15-year prison sentence.

That plea also eased some of the suspicion that was hanging over Scott. Before that, many people believed he either knew more than he admitted or may have been involved in murdering his wife somehow.

Even now, Dateline notes that some people related to the case continue to question whether everyone responsible was truly held accountable or not.

Still, investigators never charged Scott or Paige with murder conspiracy due to the sheer lack of evidence.

Scott Sunford now lives privately away from the public eye

After years of attention connected to Desiree’s murder, Scott Sunford has chosen to live very private life. According to reports from Dateline, he is now retired and is living in Kennewick, Washington.

Desiree and Scott Sunford (Image Via: Dateline NBC, YouTube)

Before retirement, Scott has worked through many jobs over the years, including military training roles and other management roles. He is also a motorcycle enthusiast, something that stayed important to him after Desiree’s death.

In fact, Scott has organized remembrance rides in Desiree’s honor, keeping her memory alive through biking events across Washington.

Another tragedy hit Scott's family when his son Jeffrey Sunford passed away in 2019. Since then, Scott has preferred to stay away from the public eye.

Even though there are no public reports of another relationship, he and Paige Blades have split apart.