In the summer of 2013, a quiet neighborhood in Chesapeake, Virginia, became the scene of a grim discovery that shattered the community's sense of peace. The life of 54-year-old Cindy Jensen-Ellett was tragically cut short in a case that would unravel a dark story of familial betrayal and violence. Jensen-Ellett, a female resident of the city, was found deceased in her home on Monarch Reach in July of that year, the victim of a brutal homicide. Her death was not an isolated incident but part of a double murder that also claimed the life of her 59-year-old boyfriend, Anthony Barone.
The investigation into the couple's death began after a concerned individual reported that one of the residents had uncharacteristically failed to show up for work. When police entered the home, they uncovered a horrific scene. Barone's body was discovered hidden under a pile of clothes in an upstairs closet, having been shot to death. The body of Cindy Jensen-Ellett was found in the garage, wrapped in a blue tarp and concealed behind cardboard boxes. It was later revealed that she had been stabbed with a filet knife.
Suspicion quickly fell upon two individuals who were present at the home when police arrived: Jensen-Ellett's own son, 34-year-old Ryan Martinez, and his 38-year-old girlfriend, Airika Liljegren. Both had been living in the residence with Jensen-Ellett and Barone. The motive for the gruesome crimes was reportedly a dispute over stolen earrings. In a chilling admission to the police, Liljegren confessed to stabbing Jensen-Ellett.
Both Martinez and Liljegren were arrested and faced charges of first-degree murder and concealment of a body, with Martinez facing an additional charge for the use of a firearm. In the ensuing legal proceedings, Ryan Martinez entered an Alford plea to a second-degree murder charge for the death of Anthony Barone, as well as two counts of concealing a body. He was sentenced to a total of 53 years in prison, followed by 12 years of probation. Airika Liljegren also entered an Alford plea to first-degree murder in the death of Cindy Jensen-Ellett and was handed a matching sentence of 53 years in prison, with a portion of a longer sentence suspended. A subsequent attempt by Liljegren to have her plea thrown out in favor of a jury trial was denied by a judge.
