Detectives discover YouTuber posing as ‘victim’ is husband’s killer after interview blunder

In Texas, the discovery of a man’s body in the woods initially seemed to indicate he was the victim of a violent kidnapping and murder orchestrated by masked assailants.

However, inconsistencies in his wife’s account began to emerge during police questioning.

On February 20, 2015, Samantha Wohlford called her mother, Rosie, urgently requesting help, prompting police to rush to her home in Texas.

Wohlford, a YouTuber and mother of five, reported that her husband Ernie Ibarra had been kidnapped. His body was discovered in the woods later the same day.

Upon arrival, officers from the Titus County Sheriff’s Office found Wohlford apparently bound and gagged. She claimed the intruders had also assaulted Ibarra, a tattoo artist, during the night.

Investigators soon suspected three men in connection with the incident: Jose Ponse, Johnathan Sanford, and Octavious Rhymes.

Despite Wohlford’s initial call to police, it was later revealed that she was deeply complicit and had orchestrated her husband’s murder.

The couple had a troubled relationship, with Wohlford accusing Ibarra of abuse, though his family denied these allegations.

Wohlford managed a small YouTube channel and aspired to be an actress.

Her content often included personal anecdotes, highlighting her challenges in caring for her five children.

Following Ibarra’s death, Wohlford was interrogated by police.

She attempted to shift the blame onto Johnathan Sanford, claiming he was enraged by her accounts of Ibarra’s alleged abuse.

Sanford and his brother, Jose Antonio Ponse, were subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping.

However, the brothers implicated Wohlford and another individual, Rhymes, in the murder plot.

The initial plan was to plant meth in Ibarra’s car and call the police, but they later opted for a more direct approach to kill him, using a car provided by Wohlford.

During questioning, officers were puzzled by Wohlford’s ability to call her mother while supposedly tied up.

They also questioned her decision to call her mother instead of 911.

Wohlford claimed she dialed with her face, prompting Detective Ingram to ask, “Well, how did you dial your mother with your face?”

She suggested she pressed the first number that appeared, but officers remained skeptical.

Ibarra was fatally shot, and his body was found in a wooded area near Sand Crossing in Camp County.

Sanford and Ponse received 50-year prison sentences, while Rhymes was sentenced to 93 years.

Wohlford was ultimately sentenced to 99 years in prison.