Charges: Maple Grove man strangled wife, buried her in crawl space
Joshua David Fury[Hennepin County Jail]
A Maple Grove man has been charged after authorities say he strangled his wife and buried her in the crawl space of a home.
A criminal complaint states 28-year-old Joshua David Fury faces one count of second-degree murder.
The body of Maria Fury was found early Saturday morning in the crawl space of a Maple Grove home.
Photo provided by the family of Maria Fury.
According to the complaint, officers were called Thursday evening to a home on the 11000 block of Red Fox Drive in Maple Grove on the report of a missing woman.
The complaint says Josh Fury reported his wife was missing after she left the home for a walk.
Missing woman in Maple Grove found dead, suspect arrested on probable cause
Officers continued to search the surrounding area but were unable to find the woman. The complaint says officers noted that Fury appeared to be concerned about his wife's well-being at the time.
According to the complaint, neighbors and relatives told authorities Josh and Maria Fury had been having marital issues.
Friday, authorities conducted another search that included the use of K9s. A K9 was able to locate the presence of human remains in a crawl space of the couple's home.
After a search warrant was executed, the victim's body was found in the crawl space Saturday morning.
The complaint said an autopsy revealed she died of asphyxiation.
According to the complaint, after Josh Fury was arrested, he denied harming his wife. However, later in an interview with investigators, he admitted to strangling the victim, placing a plastic bag over her head and burying her in the crawl space.
Maria Fury's parents, Lissa Weimelt and Bill Pew, issued the following statement:
"Maria Pew is a victim of a horrific, unthinkable crime. But we will not allow her to be remembered that way; Maria would hate it if the world saw her as a victim. Maria was so much more. She was our daughter, our niece, our cousin, our friend; she loved her family and was fiercely loyal. A happy, strong, resilient, supportive, and caring individual, Maria did so much in her 28 years. But she also left behind hopes and dreams, and she left undone infinite possibilities."
The family's entire statement can be read here.
The family is also asking that people consider supporting Cornerstone, an organization that works with families experiencing domestic violence. The family has set up a fundraiser to donate to the organization in honor of Fury.