A Minnesota man admitted during a court hearing Tuesday to snapping her neck and suffocating her before reporting her missing.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 28-year-old Joshua Fury confessed earlier this year to strangling his wife, Maria, 28, and burying her under their Maple Grove home on April 30. The same day, Fury reported his wife missing and claimed he couldn’t find her when arrived home from work.
CBS Minnesota reports that on Tuesday at the Hennepin County District Court, Fury pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. His defense lawyer, along with Hennepin County Attorney Leah Erickson, agreed to a sentence of 38 years in prison.
Family and friends of the couple characterized Joshua Fury as “controlling and possessive.” Maria’s mother claimed she planned to leave him, according to a criminal complaint. Prior to his admittance, Fury claimed an old boyfriend may have harmed his wife.
While searching for Maria, authorities brought cadaver dogs to the couple’s residence. The dogs picked up on scents of human remains coming from the crawl space underneath the house.
Previous story: ‘Controlling’ husband snaps wife’s neck & buries her under home, then reports her missing: Docs
On May 2, investigators found Maria’s body in the crawlspace. Prosecutors wrote that it took authorities hours to exhume her body.
During Tuesday’s court hearing, Fury admitted that he grabbed his wife’s neck during a heated argument and choked her until he heard a snap. He then wrapped her head in a plastic bag and taped it shut with the same tape planned to use to hang missing person flyers.
Police said the couple’s marital problems worsened earlier this year when they were forced to stay home during COVID-19 quarantine orders. Fury admitted he threatened to kill his wife previously and attempted to take his own life after he murdered her.
“They had been arguing about COVID-19 in the days leading up to her death,” the complaint read.
Maria’s official cause of death was listed as asphyxiation.
Since Fury has been behind bars since his arrest, he’ll end up spending around 25 years in prison, given time served and a plea arrangement made between his attorney and the prosecution.
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[Feature Photo: Maria & Joshua Fury/Police Handout]
