Fort Worth, Texas — On Monday, a Tarrant County jury sentenced 28-year-old Valerian “Will” O’Steen to death for the brutal 2022 murder of 26-year-old Marissa Grimes, a young mother of two whose disappearance shocked the community.
Prosecutors said Grimes was preparing to leave O’Steen and had rented a U-Haul to move out on February 12, 2022. That night, she stopped by his Fort Worth home to say goodbye. Neighbors later told investigators they heard a heated argument, and one witness recalled O’Steen threatening her with a gun.
When Grimes never returned home, her family reported her missing. Days later, her U-Haul truck was discovered abandoned less than a mile from O’Steen’s residence, fueling suspicions about his involvement. Detectives eventually searched the property and made a grim discovery: Grimes’s body hidden in a crawl space beneath the house. She had been wrapped in blankets and a tarp.
Evidence presented during trial revealed that O’Steen continued living in the home for approximately 10 days with Grimes’s body concealed below. The medical examiner testified that she died from blunt force trauma to the head and had suffered multiple broken bones and bruises consistent with physical abuse.
Valerian O’Steen History
O’Steen had a troubled history marked by volatile relationships and run-ins with law enforcement. Friends and acquaintances described him as controlling and prone to anger, with prosecutors painting him as a man unwilling to accept rejection. In the courtroom, his lack of visible remorse and the chilling details of how he concealed the crime underscored the prosecution’s argument that he posed a continuing danger to society.
Marissa Grimes
Grimes, by contrast, was remembered as a devoted mother who loved her two young children deeply and was determined to start a new life away from the abuse she had endured. Friends said she had a lively spirit and was eager to build a safer, more stable future for her family. The decision to leave O’Steen was meant to mark a fresh start — a chance for independence and healing — but instead it cost her her life.
The Verdict
The jury deliberated on both the facts of the killing and O’Steen’s lack of remorse before delivering the ultimate sentence. Family members of Grimes expressed relief that justice had been served, though many acknowledged that nothing could erase the pain of losing her.
