MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — A Maple Grove man is charged with murder after investigators say he strangled his wife during an argument and then buried her body in a crawlspace.
The criminal complaint filed against 28-year-old Joshua David Fury details how prosecutors say he killed his wife Maria Pew, and then tried to convince police that she was missing.
On April 30, squads were dispatched to Fury's home on the 11000 block of Red Fox Drive after he called to report that his spouse was unaccounted for. Fury told responding officers he last saw Pew as he left for work at 11:30 a.m. He said she was going for a walk, but when he returned home between 4:40 and 5:00 p.m., his wife was still gone, and her cell phone was sitting on the counter. Fury reportedly told officers he biked Maria's usual walking route, but saw nothing.
Fury allowed officers to sweep the couple’s home. Officers did not notice anything suspicious or out of place, and felt Fury genuinely appeared concerned for his wife's well-being.
For two days authorities conducted a large-scale search for Maria, on ground and in the air using a helicopter. Investigators questioned her mother, family members and friends, who indicated that the couple was having problems and that Fury was "controlling and possessive." Fury's mother-in-law said her daughter was going to leave the defendant.
Police applied for a search warrant, and on May 2, a human recovery K9 indicated the presence of human remains in a crawl space in the basement. A second search warrant to dig was applied for, and after hours of digging, Pew's body was discovered.
Fury was arrested and gave multiple statements insisting he did not harm his wife, instead blaming what happened on one of her former boyfriends. After continued questioning, police say Fury confessed to killing Maria by strangling her, putting a plastic bag over her head and then burying her body in the crawl space.
The defendant reportedly told investigators he suffers from depression, and attempted to commit suicide following the murder.
Maria's family released a statement in which they ask for their daughter to not be remembered as a victim but as a happy, strong, resilient, supportive, and caring individual. They also advocate for victims of domestic violence in the statement.
Read the family's full statement here: Family of woman killed by husband seeks to raise awareness on domestic violence
Domestic violence resources can be accessed here: https://www.cornerstonemn.org/
You can donate "in Maria's honor" here: https://www.mightycause.com/story/Mariapew
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