Samantha Wohlford was convicted of murder and abduction in the death of her husband and received a 99-year prison sentence for murder plus an additional 50 years for the abduction, according to court records and family accounts. Prosecutors say Wohlford orchestrated the kidnapping and killing of her husband and provided information that led authorities to his body.
The victim, identified in family accounts as Ernie, was found shot in a wooded area after three men led police to the location. Authorities arrested Jonathan Sanford, Jose Antonio Ponse and Octavious Rhymes; Sanford and Ponse later admitted to aggravated kidnapping and murder and were each sentenced to 50 years in prison, and Rhymes was convicted in a separate trial and received a 93-year sentence.
The case unfolded over multiple years. Family members say Ernie met Wohlford after a bar encounter in 2009 and the couple moved in together; they later married in 2014 and had several children, including twins from Wohlford’s previous relationship and additional children together. In the months and years before his death, Ernie’s relatives described growing tensions in the household, with Wohlford pursuing an online presence as a YouTube influencer while other family members said domestic responsibilities fell largely to Ernie.
Ernie’s half sister, who testified at trial, told investigators and reporters that Wohlford posted makeup tutorials and parenting videos that drew few viewers and that she had filmed a dangerous clip of a young child dancing unrestrained on the front seat of a car. That video and other incidents, the sister said, were sources of repeated arguments.
Family members also said Wohlford accused Ernie of domestic violence on at least one occasion, securing a restraining order that temporarily barred him from the home. According to relatives' testimony, Wohlford later invited Ernie back to the house despite the order, and he continued to visit the children. On the night of his death, investigators say Ernie was lured from the home, assaulted and shot in the back of the head.
Wohlford initially told police that three men had broken into the house, beaten Ernie, and kidnapped him, according to charging documents. She later identified one of the men as the boyfriend of a friend and told investigators she had not expected the alleged plan to be carried out. Authorities arrested Sanford, Ponse and Rhymes after Sanford led officers to the site where Ernie’s body was recovered.
Sanford and Ponse admitted to aggravated kidnapping and murder in April 2016 and were sentenced to long prison terms. Rhymes was convicted in December 2016 of aggravated kidnapping and murder and received a 93-year sentence. Wohlford was tried separately; her trial began in September 2017 and resulted in convictions on murder and abduction charges.
During the trial, family members gave testimony describing household conditions, disputes over childcare and allegations they said revealed a pattern of manipulation. The victim’s sister told jurors she had seen signs suggesting Wohlford had staged allegations of abuse, and she described the couple’s strained relationship in the months before the killing.
Prosecutors argued the killing had been planned and that Wohlford had played an active role in arranging the abduction. Defense attorneys contesting the prosecution’s account raised different explanations at trial; court records show the jury ultimately found Wohlford guilty.
The sentencing added decades to the prison terms already imposed on the co-defendants. Court documents from the related prosecutions show that Sanford and Ponse pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping and murder, while Rhymes was found guilty at trial.
Family members described the effect of the killing on Ernie’s children and on their extended family. In interviews and testimony referenced at trial, relatives said the father had worked multiple jobs and took on significant caregiving responsibilities, and they expressed grief over the loss of his role in his children’s lives. Ernie’s half sister said their father later died from complications of congestive heart failure and that the family continues to struggle with birthdays and holidays.
Relatives also conveyed surprise and disbelief at some of Wohlford’s behavior after the killing, including statements reported to investigators and actions involving funeral arrangements that led to her arrest on the day authorities planned to move her husband’s body to a different funeral home.
The case drew attention in local media and in family statements for the apparent contrast between Wohlford’s public pursuit of online recognition and the violent outcome. Prosecutors suggested at trial that custody concerns may have been a motive; family members told reporters they suspected Wohlford sought to position herself as a bereaved mother of several children, or otherwise saw personal gain in Ernie’s death. Defense arguments offered at trial disputed those interpretations.
Wohlford’s convictions and the sentences for her co-defendants concluded the criminal prosecutions linked to the killing, but family members say the emotional and practical effects of the crime remain. Relatives have described ongoing grief and the challenges facing the couple’s children, and some family members testified during court proceedings about their attempts to care for the children after Ernie’s death.
Court records show Wohlford remains in custody following her conviction and sentencing. The co-defendants are serving their terms after admitting guilt or being convicted in separate trials. The case has been cited in news coverage as an example of how interpersonal conflict, allegations of staged abuse and the influence of social-media aspirations intersected with criminal investigation and prosecution.
As family members and court documents reflect, the investigation and prosecutions spanned several years, multiple trials and sentences totaling decades for the four people convicted in connection with Ernie’s death. Relatives say they continue to grieve the loss and to care for the surviving children while the criminal sentences are served.