Martha Crouch mugshot.Photo:San Juan County Adult Detention Center
San Juan County Adult Detention Center
A New Mexico woman who faked her own death is in custody after being found hiding behind a false wall inside a Colorado home, according to multiple reports.
Martha Crouch, 58, was arrested last week after Huerfano County deputies discovered her husband, Timothy Crouch 62, dead in front of the family home in Walsenburg, according toKRDO. He reportedly collapsed and had difficulty breathing before he died.
One of the couple’s adult children then told deputies that their mother was dead but the officers went inside the home anyway and discovered a false wall in the kitchen, behind which Crouch was hiding with a 14-year-old daughter, added KRDO.
Deputies then arrested Crouch, who had an outstanding felony warrant in New Mexico for violating her probation on child abuse charges, per the outlet
Martha Crouch mugshot.San Juan County Adult Detention Center
According to theFarmington Daily Times, Crouch pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted fourth-degree child abuse at a virtual hearing in San Juan County, New Mexico in December 2021. She was put on probation after most of the charges were dismissed; however, she reportedly violated her probation two days later and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Crouch also faced charges of felony child abuse and extreme cruelty to animals in 2019 for allegedly forcing her children to witness the deaths of four puppies that she boiled alive, according toLaw & Crime.
The incident reportedly took place after she promised one child a birthday meal, the outlet reported. As a form of punishment, Crouch also allegedly shot a child’s dog, per Law & Crime.
She also allegedly hit one of her daughters with a spatula and assaulted another so severely that she suffered a miscarriage, per the outlet.
Court records showed that Crouch and her husband were taken into custody after authorities interviewed several of their children about the crimes, per theAssociated Press.
Timothy Crouch mugshot.San Juan County Adult Detention Center
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A teen daughter told authorities that Crouch “took the puppies and put them into a giant pot and boiled them, making all the kids watch,” according to court documents, per the outlet.
Another daughter told police that she was kept on a “fat chain” for three years because Crouch said she was overweight, per the outlet.
The Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
