Man Charged With Murder Of Missing Woman He Was Out On Bond For Allegedly Abusing

Police have charged a Fort Worth man with murder after finding the body of a missing women under his home.

Valerian Osteen, 24, has been charged with capital murder in the death of Marissa Grimes, 26, according to Tarrant County Jail records and the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. He is currently being held on a $500,000 bond according to jail records.

According to the D.A.'s office, Osteen was first arrested on Jan. 10 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint in a domestic violence incident against Grimes. According to a missing person's flyer issued by The Aware Foundation in February, Osteen allegedly held Grimes against her will for a week.

Court documents reviewed by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in the January case allege that Osteen held Grimes against her will at his home, threatened her with a gun and "intentionally or knowingly threaten[ed] imminent bodily injury to Grimes."

Despite Osteen allegedly having five prior felony conviction (including for evading arrest and theft), multiple misdemeanor convictions and a history of non-compliance with court orders resulting in the revocation of his probation, a Tarrant County Magistrate issued him a $10,000 bond on the aggravated assault charge and a $5,000 bond on the unlawful restraint charge. Osteen made bond several days later and was released on the condition that he have no contact with Grimes and wear a GPS monitor.

According to The Aware Foundation, Grimes was hiding from the "man responsible" for her domestic violence incident in January at the time of her disappearance. She last seen on Feb. 12 by her mother, when she left to go to a friend's house in Fort Worth to retrieve her belongings.

She was reported missing on Feb. 16, according to Fort Worth Fox affiliate KDFW

Police found a vehicle associated with Grimes' missing person report on Feb. 21, according to the Star-Telegram, and The Aware Foundation said that her purse was located inside of it. They then discovered information indicating that Grimes may have been heading to Osteen's home, according to a Fort Worth police press release reviewed by the Star-Telegram.

They received a search warrant for home on Feb. 22; underneath it, they found a woman's body, the paper said.

On Wednesday, according to the D.A.'s office, Osteen's bond in the domestic violence case was revoked after it was determined that he had failed to charge his GPS monitor. He was arrested that same day — which is when authorities say they discovered that Osteen had removed the monitor entirely.

On Friday, the body found under Osteen's house was positively identified as Grimes, according to the Star-Telegraph. Jail records indicate he was charged in that case on Saturday.

Grimes leaves behind two children. 

In a public Facebook post cited by the Star-Telegram, a family friend named Stephanie Kegley expressed the frustration of Grimes' friends and family at how the court system had functioned when she reported abuse.

"She had the strength to go report the abuse and NOTHING happened as a result," Kegley wrote. "She had no protection and when they allowed him to bail out, he set his sights on revenge."

In announcing her death, The Aware Foundation echoed those sentiments.

"Being the brave and beautiful soul she was, Marissa did everything right," Aware wrote.

"She had the courage to go to the police for help but unfortunately that piece of paper did nothing to protect her," they wrote of the court-issued order of protection she obtained against Osteen prior to her murder.