Snapped: Women Who Murder - Samantha Wohlford

Episode Date: November 26, 2023

When a young Texas father is abducted without a trace and later found murdered, Titus County investigators follow a trail of cellphone records and internet history to reveal a dangerous conspiracy fueled by a manipulative mastermind.Season 29 Episode 04Originally aired: April 25, 2021Watch full episodes of Snapped for FREE on the Oxygen app: https://oxygentv.app.link/WatchSnappedPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by the Audible original cozy mystery series, Misslto Murders, written by Ken Cooperus. It's the most wonderful crime of the year. Back by popular demand, Colby Smolder stars as protagonist Emily Lane, tune in for twists and turns as Emily solves mysteries in the town of Fletcher's Grove. Emily tries to outrun her past, but it's rapidly catching up to her. The stakes are high as mysteries strike closer to home than ever before. And it wouldn't be a holiday story without some romance. Love blossoms between Emily and Sam

played by Raymond Ablak, putting the mistletoe in mistletoe murders. Get in the holiday mood today, catch up on season one now and binge the entire series from the beginning. Then follow it up with even more romance, murder, and cliffhangers in this new season. Listen now to season two of Misslto Murders, only from Audible. God. Nothing can stop a father. Is he alive? From doing what the law can't. And we have to do this the very way. You have to. I don't. Bosch Legacy. Watch the new season now streaming exclusively on FreeV.

When an aspiring YouTube star marries a brooding gamer, they prove that opposites do attract. I am the biggest streamer ever. I'm very free-spirited. a brooding gamer, they prove that opposites do attract. I am the biggest dreamer ever. I'm very free-spirited. He was the calm, tame stuff that she needed, and she was just throughout a amount of fun and crazy that he needed.

Never liked soulmates. After becoming parents to two sets of twins, this young Texas couple seemed like a reality show in the making. Until their home turned into a real-life nightmare. She was crying and through the crying, trying to say that somebody I kidnapped her husband. I can hear her and at that point I start hearing panic. As the investigation begins, a dangerous conspiracy fueled

by an unquenchable thirst is discovered. So much of her behavior was attention-saking. She said, not gonna make anybody believe anything, I'm an actress. When the truth is revealed, this once idyllic family will land in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. They had hit him in the head multiple times with the pistol. They had hit him across the face with it. They had punched him.

She said, I am really freaking out. I've never been so scared in my life. February 20th, 2015. It's just after 2am in Titus County, Texas, as Rosie Wolford is wrapping up a fun night on the town with her daughter Natasha. We were having a karaoke night. We had walked out of the club and we were standing outside talking to the owner when my phone started ringing. Rosie answers the call from her oldest daughter, 26-year-old Samantha Wilford. It was muffled and not clear.

I finally get to the point where I can hear her and at that point I start hearing panic. My mom just looked horrified and I'm like, what's the matter? She's like, your sister. She said, all I know is something about... they took him. And I was like, what's the matter? She's like, your sister. She said, all I know is something about they took him. And I was like, what's the matter? She's like, I can't understand her.

Through her daughter's muffled cries, Rosie begins to understand that Samantha is talking about her husband, 29-year-old Bernie Iberra. She said there was intruders. And apparently, they have kidnapped him. I finally managed to hear her say, I'm tied up. And now I'm really freaking out.

I've never been so scared in my life. She's like getting the car right now. So I'm like, okay, and I jumped in the car as she said, get me the mountain plaza. So I'm literally driving 90 miles an hour in a 40, trying to get her there. Rosie and Natasha rushed to Samantha's house about an hour away. As they drive, Rosie calls her sister Ginger.

My sister was clear-headed and I have to think, hey, we should probably call 911. So she immediately had called 911. calls her sister, Ginger. My sister was clear-headed and I have to think, hey, we should probably call 911. So she immediately had called 911. The mom calls Ginger, the aunt, who lived probably 10 minutes down the road, and told her what Samantha was saying, and then Ginger and Ginger's husband went over to the house.

Ginger and her husband arrived at Samantha's home before law enforcement. I tell her to haul her so they can hear her, and so they know that she's upstairs. And so they go upstairs. And when they get upstairs, she's got her hands tied behind her back, and her ankles are tied. And she's gagged.

She was crying and through the crying, trying to say that somebody had broken into her house, that they had kidnapped her husband. We have no idea what has happened. Where is my son and what? What is going on? Where is Ernie? Born on Christmas Day, 1985 in Mount Pleasant, Texas,

Ernie Ibera was a bright and quiet child. He was kind of a bookworm at one point my mom had. My mom had to, uh to shit to ground him from his books because he would stay up all not reading books and go to sleep during class. As Ernie got older his affinity for books gave way to another passion. He loved to mess around with computer's period, he could tear one apart, put it right back together. He was very, very good at it. He did go to college and got some certificate,

some technology and computers. Ernie spent most of his time gaming and working toward his dream. Then, in 2008, he met a woman at a local tattoo shop who would change his life, Samantha Wilford. Sam was a real bubbly person. Everybody liked her. She just has that way about her.

Samantha was born in 1989. From a young age, she had a strong instinct to nurture her. Samantha was my oldest, then I have Natasha, and then I have Darryl. Sam always had that mothering instinct. She was mom-at-to-the-babies below her. She knew all along she wanted to be a mom. At the young age of 19, Samantha's dream became a dramatic reality when she and her high school sweetheart found out they were expecting.

She had told me she was pregnant. She said it's twins. I was like, oh my gosh, it was just as mind-boggling. While the pregnancy was a dream come true, Samantha's relationship with the twins' father was not. She was with him for a while, probably two years, but he was not husband material, so she finally ended it. For the next few months, Samantha struggled to make ends meet. She was a photographer for newborns, and she also was doing like side jobs like Salah Mary K. She did little

ventures here and there to try to make money. Then, in January 2008, her life turned around when she met 22-year-old Ernie Ibera. He was in this very dark stage, gothic. I would call it. He had long hair, wore a long black trench coat, and black boots, black pants. She liked the persona he put off. She liked the mysteries. I guess he She liked the, like, mysteries.

I guess he was a mystery that she was wanting to unravel. For the first couple of years, Ernie and Samantha kept their relationship casual until 2011, when things got serious fast. She found out she was pregnant. She was like, oh my goodness, another set of twins. When they were born, of course, she was the proud father, as any father would be.

With two sets of twins, Ernie and Samantha were immersed in family life and grew closer through the chaos. He was the calm, time stuff that she needed and she was just throughout a amount of fun and crazy that he needed. I mean, they were like soulmates. In late 2013, 24-year-old Samantha gave birth to her fifth child

and Ernie worked hard to support his growing family. He ended up getting a job at D-Bat, which they make baseball bats and he ran the machine that did all the lasering on the bats. He was working two jobs. He was working as a computer programmer at a local bat manufacturing company here and he was also working part-time at a little caesars. Samantha also looked for a way to bring in additional income for her growing brood.

She was really big into YouTube, and she made the series of YouTube videos. I mean, not sure. Basically, her videos were just going on and on about her pregnancy. She did hope that she could make some kind of extra money at it. September 21st, my baby's turned one years old. My youngest twins, I feel I'm getting so old, oh my God.

There's one where she's just talking about tips on how to get your kid ready for school really fast, like she was trying to help other moms. With every video she posted, Samantha's confidence and aspirations grew. She was wanting to be famous. She wanted to be seen. She wanted to be known. I love you guys. Bye.

By March 2014, it seemed there was only one thing missing, a ring on Samantha's finger. She's like, it's time, you know. I'm sitting here, we're living together. I'm ready to become the wife. I babysat their kids and they went out, went to Hopeark and saw a guy married. Now, just shy of their second anniversary, in the early morning hours of February 20, 2015,

Samantha is found bound and gagged inside her home, crying out that her husband Ernie has been kidnapped. She was devastated, and she was crying uncontrollably, and she was scared. She said they got to find him. As we go into the house, Samantha and her aunt are coming down a staircase, and that's where me and the officers have our first encounter with her. The kids were asleep, they were upstairs,

so I told Samantha just leave them where they're at for right now, so I could get more information from her about what happened without having to worry about the children. Investigators know they have to act fast to find Ernie. At that point in time, Ernie is possibly still alive and we can get to him. We've got to get this solved and get this solved fast. Because you know, we knew something wouldn't right.

Coming up, investigators look into a potential family vendetta. The subjects made a statement that they were there to get payback. She painted the picture that this was in retribution for something that Ernie's father might have done. And Samantha recounts the chilling details of the attack. She's on the regular van.

What happened? It's going to be dealt. What they spell, it pressed the plate that he had in sight for. that he had to inspect for. On February 20th, 2015, investigators with the Titus County, Texas Sheriff's Department have just arrived at the home of Ernie Iberra and his wife Samantha. Samantha described who had broken into her house that they had kidnapped her husband. She said she was taking upstairs and tied up. Her hands behind her back in her ankles time.

She is just pale as a ghost and she is just distraught. And she looks like this scared little girl, not knowing what's going on. As deputies work to calm Samantha, they can hear the couple's children growing restless in an upstairs bedroom. By the time they got through photographing the home and everything, they did get the kids for me and everything and bring them out.

So we loaded them into our vehicle. While Samantha helps settle her children, investigators look for any clues that might lead them to Ernie. There was nothing missing. The extent of variables would be flat screen televisions, and there's nothing there that gives us the indication that somebody broke in at home for the purpose of taking property out of it.

There was some kind of struggle because there is damage, upstairs to a wall that looks like somebody got pushed into the sheet rock and the sheet rock's damaged. There's some blood on the wall, which probably happened during a scuffle. Right by the door was a lock of hair. The front door is lying in the living room. As you come up the front porch,

and it's just shattered in about four or five pieces. There's blood all over the place. So, you know, something's happened here, and we're trying to piece this together. While a team of officers continues to process the crime scene, investigators escort Samantha back to the station for additional questioning. Welcome to your routine district.

Hi, came home. We watched the duty, we ate, we ate, we ate too, we don't know if I ate anything. Everything was normal, he was actually in a really great mood. After their evening together, Samantha says the couple went to bed but they weren't asleep long. So when you were laying there in bed, they were doing already their

own bed, they were in the far bedroom back there. What's your first memory of what's going on? I remember at some point it was a little after after a while. So many jerking the blankets down, which startled me. It's only a good idea of the water happening so that the water won't say a good idea of the idea. The jerking put that in some window, water takes out and press the blade that it had inside the floor. They got him downstairs with my feet upstairs. I got it all in the blink of an eye being.

And I could hear him hitting him with the living room and yelling but I could at its almost being said. And then it won't move to birth. Being killed. They had me on my knees forcing him to look at me. It was like they were using me like some kind of taunting factor and a punch in the face with a gun. She said something to the effect that Ernie was actually

holding his own pretty good until one of the intruders hitting in the head with a pistol. And at that point, she said the fight was pretty much all out of him. Samantha says before the men dragged Ernie from the home, they paused to send a chilling message. What was holding him and the other one was hitting him. The guy pulled his hair up, saw it off,

and dropped it beside him. They told her, you can keep that, because that's all you're going to have to remember your husband. They told her, you can keep that, because that's all you're gonna have to remember your husband. [♪ Music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, So, letting you take your phone, we have a bunch of phone there. They have these. I had a phone and I don't want to know. I had to get to it. I had to get to it. We will on the far side. Detectives ask Samantha if she can recall any identifying details about the attackers.

They were all wearing masks, their whole face, baggy black shirts, baggy black pants, Shoes like something like this, but black, and gloves. She described somebody with a Hispanic voice, somebody with a voice that sound like you might be African-American. She told the investigators that it was a three-gash, she had no idea who they were, that they took off with Ernie in this vehicle. She didn't know, she couldn't give any description of the vehicle whatsoever. Investigators ask Samantha if there was anything about the attack that hinted at a motive. I think it's something to do with his dad.

What do you think of the big one? I hate, and I'm usually right, and I hate that, but is that a problem with getting involved in things that young people can get involved with? She said the guys made a statement that they were going to Ernie's father's house. She painted the picture that this was in retribution for something that Ernie's father's house. She painted the picture that this was in retribution for something that Ernie's father might have done.

According to Samantha, Ernie's dad has a reputation for running with a rough crowd, and the men hinted that he might be in over his head. The subject's made a statement that Ernie's father had narked on somebody, which is given narcotics information. And I guess got somebody else arrested for it, and they were there to get payback for what Ernie's father had done.

With Ernie's life at stake, detectives waste no time acting on the lead. We know where Ernie's father's house is, so I tell my deputy that's with me, hey, go ahead and start heading towards Ernie's father's house. They had to get to that location to one, make sure that he was okay to maybe locate these attackers and possibly, first and foremost, find Ernie. As deputies race to Ernie's father's house,

Samantha tells detectives Ernie May still have his cell phone on him. The phone was really key. They asked for a phone number for him and said they could get a location on it. I can then provide that phone number to my dispatcher who can contact the cell phone provider and do what's called a phone ping, which will give us the location of the phone. Moments later, investigators get word that Ernie's phone has been located in a town just 20 minutes away.

Around 3.20 a.m. that morning, the location came back to a residence in Pittsburgh. The location of the ping is nowhere near Ernie's father's house. I started having officers respond in that direction. It came through Chris Durant's radio, and at that point, he was with Samantha, and Durant asks her, you know anybody in Pittsburgh, and she says no.

The deputies went to the location and were unable to locate anything for it last pinged. Debudy's check back in with Dispatch, only to learn troubling news about Ernie's phone. All of a sudden, the phone gets turned off. I just thought that was very strange. Once the phone's turned off, you can't get an update in location. It's frustrating, but we just keep trying.

We were not going to stop until we hopefully find Ernie alive. Coming up, investigators uncover a new wrinkle in the case. She was saying, you know, that it was cartil involvement and a shocking confession changes everything. He told her, so if you want to do it, just leave your door unlocked. Carol Ryan was a mother, a daughter, a classic rock lover. She was also a victim of one of the cruelest crimes in Central New York history. In fact, the crime scene was so grizzly that, at first, investigators couldn't determine what kind of weapon was used. And that was just the beginning of an unsolved case, so heinous, that it would haunt police

and this upstate community for decades to come. Firecracker, hosted by reporter Katrina Tullik, is a new six-part series from Wondry that explores the gruesome murder of Carol Ryan, who had an explosive device detonated inside of her. This podcast explores Carol's final hours, how investigators initially bungled her crime scene, and why the leading suspect has never been arrested. But follow along as renewed optimism about advancements in DNA technology, threatened to put this monster behind bars.

And finally get Justice for Carol. Listen to Firecracker on the Wondry app, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Firecracker early and add free on Wondery Plus. T was the fight before Christmas, when two lovers called it quits. I can't come home this year. I think this is about Ali, because she ripped out my heart stomped on it. Then his family surprised him with an unwelcome gift. You're kind of freaking out.

You invited my ex-fiance to Christmas. You know, I really should go. You're not going anywhere. Now streaming only on Freebie. Bring on the games. My family will work up the courage to ask you to leave before Christmas morning. You want a bed? Oh, you're gone.

We're here, gone. Will they fall back in love? Or will it go down in flames? Does it have to be crazy for this entire holiday? Surrender anytime you want. Never. They are passive-aggressively heating each other. How about that? I They are possibly possibly hating each other. How about that?

But I think that they actually love each other. It's quite confusing. Starring Layton Meister and Robbie Amel. Something for you right here, Graham. Ooh, hope it's not another X. X-Mess. Now streaming only on Freebie. Thank you.

After a failed attempt to track down 29-year-old Ernie Ibera's cell phone, detectives refocus their efforts back onto his wife's Samantha's claim that the abductors might have taken Ernie to his father's house. The detectives went to the house, but they didn't find Ernie's senior. No one was there at his house. They didn't see anything that made them feel like there had been any kind of signs of struggle. So that's when I had the guys come back to my location.

Back at the station, investigators pull Ernie's father's records. Ernie, a barricainer and his uncle had repetitions in the community. They had been arrested numerous times, but we hadn't dealt with him in a quite a long time. They'd gotten older and kind of seemed to amend it as ways. My gut feeling was this is not what we're dealing with. That was their biggest lead because she was saying it was cartel involvement.

It was obvious to law enforcement that he had no kind of involvement with drugs whatsoever, so that didn't make any sense. As investigators continue to dig, they uncovered nothing on Ernie's father, and he is ruled out. Ernie, however, is another story. It seems less than a year earlier in the summer of 2014, Samantha called the police to report that

Ernie attacked her. Ernie was brought in for questioning and he was ultimately arrested on that charge. I think the allegation is that he hit her with a box. It is part of that arrest and emergency magistrate's protective order was issued against him. The discovery of a protective order has investigators wondering why Ernie was even at the couple's home the night of the attack. To find out, investigators turned their attention back to Samantha. She knew that we know there's a history of domestic issues between them, but they were

back together. When I asked about money, a situation finances, she said, that's not an issue for us. She really painted a pretty rosy picture, a picture of bliss. Detectives ask Samantha to once again walk them through her day leading up to the attack. She goes into the store about, well, I was at the hospital with my friend.

She's having a baby. Then she came home and then she was home. When Ernie came home, and they had a nice evening and went to bed. Then, in the middle of the interview, Samantha's demeanor dramatically changes. She just has an epiphany. Oh, my goodness.

There's this guy I met yesterday. His name's Johnny Reb. That's all I know him by. He could have done it. According to Samantha, Johnny Reb was also there visiting her friend at the hospital. Samantha says Johnny didn't have a car, so she agreed to loan him her Chevy Equinox.

This mutual friend of theirs was supposed to get out of the hospital that next morning, and he was going to use Samantha's car to give her a ride home. Samantha admits that while at the hospital, she said something about her husband that Johnny took offense to. She said, I told these guys that my husband, you know, abused me.

He said he would take exception to someone hitting a woman or something like that, and that he kind of offered to somehow intervene in her situation. She says, oh, my goodness, he has my car, too. What if he's the one that did this? She looks at her phone and says, oh, my goodness, he has my car, too. What if he's the one that did this? She looks at her phone and says, oh, my gosh, I just got a message.

They're at the hospital now because they're supposed to be picking up this mutual friend. We found his Facebook page. We were able to figure out, okay, his name's Jonathan Sanford. Turned to find out. He recently got not a prison. The detectives that we had, they got on it really quick. We were walking in, and these two guys were walking out.

I'd never seen them, but one of the guys just matched the description. So I turned around, and I yelled, sad for it. And when I did, they split, tried to run. So we chased them and jumped on them and put them in the car. Investigators quickly identify the two men as 25-year-old Jonathan Sanford and 26-year-old Jose Ponce. ...

Detectives bring both men back to the station for questioning. Jonathan Sandford's personality was very cooperative and forthright once he was caught. He just kind of seemed to have the attitude of, they got me, I might as well help. According to Jonathan, it all began the day before when he'd met Samantha at the hospital with his friends, Jose Ponce, and Octavius Rhymes. Jonathan claims that after Samantha opened up about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, he felt the urge to act.

Jonathan Sanford just said that a man shouldn't treat a woman that way, a man shouldn't raise a hand against a woman. Jonathan says Jose and Octavius felt the same way shouldn't treat a woman that way, a man shouldn't raise a hand against a woman. Jonathan says Jose and Octavius have felt the same way, and offered to help Samantha get rid of Ernie by landing him in jail. The plan they come up with that afternoon is that they are going to get some methamphetamine from somebody that Octavius knows and plan it in Ernie's truck, and then making anonymous phone call to law enforcement.

Jonathan claims Samantha agreed to the plan. Samantha went with them to the next town of the West, so many size Mount Vernon. They purchased the Samantha and Fedamine and loaded up and headed back to Pittsburgh. After taking Samantha home, the three men continued to talk about the plan over dinner. At some point, Jonathan Sanford said, what if we got rid of him permanently and didn't involve the cops? It changed from, you know, planning drugs on him to, let's just kidnap and kill him.

that's just kidnapin' me killin'. According to Jonathan, they kept Samantha mostly in the dark about this new and fatal detail of their plan. Sanford indicated she was aware that there's a change of plans from this initial drug set up. Now the plan was they were just gonna beat him up. She was part of it, but they weren't supposed to kill him.

Jonathan Sanford asked her what about the kids. And she said, don't worry about the kids. I can give them something to make them go to sleep. They'll never hear a thing. Finally, Jonathan told Samantha that if she wanted Ernie out of her life, all she had to do was one thing. Jonathan told her, so if you want to do it, just leave your door unlocked. And she left the door unlocked.

In the early morning hours of February 20th, Jonathan says the three men viciously pulled Ernie from his bed, beaten, and drove him in Samantha's car to a remote area in neighboring Camp County. The initial plan was for Jonathan Sanford to pull the trigger and shoot Ernie once they got him out there. Then Sandford changed his mind and said that he had decided to slit Ernie's throat.

But before they got to that point, Ernie trips and stumbles over some bryars. When Jonathan reaches down to pulling back up, ononce just reaches out behind and even pulls the trigger and shoots him in the back of the head. -♪ As they wrap up their interview with Jonathan, detectives learn Jose Ponce is telling a very different story. Everybody at that point figured she was being

the one pulling pulled the trigger. That's what I'm saying, though. I'm not dead. Who pulled the trigger? Jonathan. Have you signed it? Yes. MUSIC

Coming up, two suspects face off. Jose Pons and Jonathan Sandford wanted to blame the other one. And the details of an explosive relationship are revealed. She would fight with him because if he wasn't working, he was on the game. Once it started, she would go out of her way to push his buttons. He would go out of his way to push her buttons. The best

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of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of 26-year-old friend, Jose Ponce. There's no indicators that Jonathan fired a shot. Jonathan, in his interview, said he really wanted to do it itself, but said, ultimately, Jose Ponce did it.

Jose, however, is eager to point the finger back at Jonathan. Jonathan thought it was later. Don't go. It was just later. At first, let it, don't go, just let it. At first, when he first told him to tell him, he was like this. He was trying to talk out of the sudden. He was like this.

And then... Jose Pons and Jonathan Sandford wanted to blame the other one for actually firing the shot that killed Arnie. While investigators can't prove one man's statement over the other, they have a hunch as to which story is likely true. We all feel like Sanford's version was accurate, especially given his willingness to testify that, you know, he was going to slip the guy's throat, he just didn't get too fast enough. Jonathan agrees to direct investigators to a remote area known as Sand Crossing in Namoring Camp County, Texas. Sandford get out. He walks them far enough that they can see Ernie's body out in the woods. that they can see Ernie's body out in the woods. He was laying on his stomach.

His hands might have still been behind his back. He was in his underwear, and there was some kind of like sheet rock tape that they had used to wrap around his mouth. As CSI examined the body, Ernie's injuries tell the story of his attack. They had hit him in the head multiple times with the pistol. They had hit him across the face with it. They had punched him.

But the death came from being shot in the back of the head. It was just a... just a really gloomy, dreary place to die. MUSIC News of Ernie's death quickly reaches his loved ones. I kept asking my dad what was wrong. He just looked at me and he said, somebody killed your brother. And my jaw hit the floor.

It was like a dream. Officers put out an APB for the other alleged co-conspirator named by Jonathan and Jose, 28-year-old Octavius Rhymes. Meanwhile, detectives continue to determine Samantha's actual role in the crime. One of our considerations would be, did she really want to go as far as to contribute to his murder?

When investigators talk to friends and family of the couple, they learn the marriage was rife with tension, centering over Samantha's online obsessions. I guess her dream was to be a YouTube star. He didn't care to be on her channel. He was a very private person. She would do all kinds of stuff on there. Vinting about his family, vinting about the relationships.

As much as she wanted to be internet famous, you know, she never really told a lot of people on our family that she did it because she knew that my brother didn't like that kind of thing. He is definitely out there working two jobs and she's just kind of hanging out, complaining about her problems on use-habe. That was really frustrating to deal with. I just wanted to post this video for all those women

who think that having a child as a teen would be something smart to do. For starters, you do not have a life anymore after you have a baby. She felt like this was going somewhere. She kind of stopped paying less attention to her kids, and she acted like her so-called job was just more important than that. For their part, Samantha's family says she had her own set of grievances when it came to Ernie's gaming. That's where a lot of their fights came from because the minute he walked in the door, he was playing a game.

She would fight with him because he was literally day in and day out. The minute he woke up, the minute he goes to bed, if he wasn't working. He was on that game. Samantha's family says her frustration came to a head when Ernie's avatar became involved with another woman. Their characters or their avatars got married. She got a little upset about that, and threw a big enough fit that he said, you know, we'll all marry you in real life. Family says the wedding didn't solve their problems.

She would go out of what her way to push his buttons. He would go out of his way to push her buttons. Ernie's family claims Samantha's favorite way to push Ernie's buttons involved making allegations of abuse. Cementa had tendency towards attention seeking behaviors. She typically used her description of Ernie being abusive towards her or not treating her right to get that attention. According to Ernie's family, the incident involving the restraining order was questionable

at best. The worst that he had ever done to her was he told me that he had chunked cardboard box itter. And he said that box would not have caused no bruise. The details of a troubled marriage still don't prove whether Samantha knew Ernie's kidnapping was actually a death sentence. But that all changes when investigators obtain Samantha's phone records.

Samantha sends a text message to the people that have Ernie and advised him, hey, the cops are tracking the phone, ditch it and move. that have Ernie and advised him to pay the cops or track in the phone, ditch it and move. It was obvious of her choice to participate. She's trying to help them get away with killing her husband. On February 23rd,

three days after Ernie's kidnapping, detectives ask Samantha to come back to the Titus County Sheriff's Office. I think she thought she was coming to get Ernie's phone, and she showed up, and she was not going to be leaving that day. Samantha was charged with aggravated kidnapping and murder, and she was indicted on each of those charges separately. Coming up, prosecutors face an uphill climb and she was indicted on each of those charges separately. MUSIC Coming up, prosecutors face an uphill climb.

That was just kind of the million dollar question. What was the motive? And Samantha pulls a last line of defense in court. She had taken an ambient before she went to bed and didn't really remember any of the event. MUSIC taken an ambient before she went to bed and didn't really remember any of the event. Just three days after her husband was kidnapped and murdered, investigators in Titus County, Texas have arrested 25-year-old Samantha Wolfard.

That was a huge relief off my shoulders, have arrested 25-year-old Samantha Woolford. That was a huge relief of my shoulders, knowing that she was a part of it because I felt my heart she was. On February 26th, an officer in nearby Pittsburgh tracks down the last suspect in this crime, Octavius Rhymes. He was located in the Brookshers Park in Lotton, Pittsburgh, and was arrested there. Once in custody, Octavius tells detectives that he didn't know the kidnapping would result in murder.

When you said to once since you thought you were going over there, had one way? I don't mean it was two o'clock in the morning. What if I didn't know what was going on? I didn't even know if they did say I had to have it. And if it happens so fast, I was, I was just fine. Octavius and Samantha stick to their innocence, choosing to let

a jury decide their fate. In April 2016, their alleged co-conspirators, Jose Ponce and Jonathan Sanford both accept plea deals. Jose Ponce and Jonathan Sanford both led guilty to 250 years, a 50 years for the murder, 50 years for the kidnapping, I believe, and those run concurrent. Samantha and Octavius must each face two different trials

for their roles in Ernie's death. Octavius and her both had two trials. You had to have a trial in Mount Pleasant for the aggravated kidnapping part, and then you had to have a trial in Camp County for the murder portion. In July of 2016, Octavius is found guilty of kidnapping. In December, he has his chance to fight the murder charge

in a Camp county courtroom. His testimony did not match the statements he had given to law enforcement. He tried to remove himself even more. And I would say the jury found his testimony unbelievable and they convicted him. In March 2017, Samantha is convicted of aggravated kidnapping and sentenced to 50 years. The position she tried to take there was that she had taken an ambient before she went

to bed and didn't really remember any of the events and didn't remember sending any text messages. That's just unbelievable. Seven months later, Samantha's murder trial gets underway inside a camp county Texas courtroom. When Jonathan Sanford takes the stand on behalf of the prosecution, he claims that on the night of the murder, Samantha was on board with the entire plan. Sanford stated that she told me I'm an actress and I can handle the law.

You don't worry about that. Y'all just go get rid of him and I'll handle the police. Prosecutors alleged that the text Samantha sent warning her co-conspirators to turn off Ernie's phone amounted to a death sentence for her husband. She could've sent a text, don't do it. Don't do it. But instead, she did things purposely

to hide what they were doing. She wanted it done. After establishing Samantha's role in Ernie's murder, prosecutors face a more difficult task, laying out her motives. That was just kind of the million dollar question. What was the motive? Ernie is dead because Samantha

in seeking attention using this rhetoric of Ernie being abusive to her and not treating her right. She just finally told somebody who would do something about it. I love you guys. I think she thought this murder was going to really put this spotlight on her and make her YouTube star ultimately. As for her defense, Samantha's attorneys claim she knew nothing about the kidnapping or murder.

The only defense I saw that her attorney tried to put on was that we're just trying to sling mud, you know, and we're just putting her in essence, there's no proof. Her attorney's during the course of her trial tried to say, well, that was the ambience she was taking, there's a reason why she had no idea what was going on. It was just alive, her life, her life. On Thursday, September 14, 2017, the jury finds Samantha guilty of murder. Between the two convictions, she faces 99 years in prison.

The sentences are stacked on each other. She'll have to make parole on the kidnapping charge before she even starts serving the sentence on the murder charge. She's likely to die in prison. If she did do this, then she's where she belongs. But a mother can tell, and she can go through with a murder. There is no way. I'll never believe that.

It hurts that this happened. It not just hurts that we lost her, we lost him too. And those kids lost so much more than I did, so much more than they did. Those kids lost everything. Most people will never understand the pain of losing a family member like that. And in such a horrific way, he should be here. No amount of Tom is ever gonna take his place.

Octavius Rums was sentenced to 23 years for kidnapping and 75 years for murder. Ernie and Samantha's five kids are under the care of her mother. I'm Rodney Barnes. All my life I've been collecting stories. I don't mean sharing little bedtime stories of cute anecdotes about my childhood. I'm talking about horror stories, cautionary tales, that kind of stuff that keeps you up at night. I'm talking about rumors and folklore about grizzly murders.

From parts of the country you're not used to hearing about. Creatures with unfinished earthly business that stalked the woods at night. Spirits that possessed children. Otherworldly phenomena capable of inducing madness. These are the stories that haunt me when I'm alone. And now, this is my chance to exercise them. To get them out of my mind and into yours. Welcome to RunFull.

New episodes come out every Tuesday. Follow RunFull wherever you get your podcast.