He Lived Above Her Body for 10 Days After Stashing Her in Crawl Space. Now, Abusive Texas Man Learns Fate

A Texas man has been sentenced to death for the murder of a 26-year-old mother of two, prosecutors reported Monday, Sept. 22.

A jury recommended the death penalty for Valerian “Will” O’Steen, 28, in connection with the 2022 killing of Marissa Grimes.

According to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office, Grimes went missing in February 2022. Her body was later discovered in the crawl space of O’Steen’s rental home in Fort Worth.

“There was one person with the motive, opportunity, and the desire to kill Marissa Grimes,” prosecutor Allenna Bangs said in a Sept. 22 press release.

Prosecutors reported that O’Steen had a history of abusing Grimes. Prior to her death, he “threatened to kill her” and refused to let her leave his home. Grimes managed to text her mother, which prompted police intervention.

O’Steen was arrested and charged with domestic violence, placed on a GPS ankle monitor, and ordered to stay away from her. Prosecutors said he was angry and sought the GPS monitor’s removal. “And he told people that he was going to kill Grimes,” the release states.

Despite her family urging her to move to West Texas, Grimes and O’Steen continued to communicate, text, and meet.

On the night of her planned move on Feb. 12, 2022, Grimes stopped by to say goodbye to O’Steen. Prosecutors said that farewell escalated into a violent evening. Grimes and O’Steen visited one of O’Steen’s neighbors, who witnessed him threaten Grimes with a gun. That marked the last time she was seen alive.

Grimes’ U-Haul was later found abandoned on Feb. 21, about a mile from O’Steen’s home. The following day, authorities discovered her decomposing body wrapped in a blanket and tarp in the crawl space. “He dug her a shallow grave and lived above her for 10 days,” said Bangs.

Prosecutors detailed the horrific extent of the violence inflicted upon Grimes. She had been beaten and tortured, suffering multiple lacerations to her head, two black eyes, and broken arm, ribs, and nose.