A 58-year-old mother of 15 was found alive and well behind a fake wall in her house after she allegedly faked her own death to defy probation restraints put on her in relation to several child abuse cases.
Martha Crouch was found alive and well, behind a false wall in her home by state troopers in New Mexico, US after they connected her to the death of her husband Timothy Crouch.
Police initially found Timothy dead on his lawn due to a medical condition on August 17. When one of his daughters heard about his demise, she urged the police to return back to the house as her siblings were allegedly being abused.
The Colorado police then connected Crouch to his wife Martha and learned she had an outstanding warrant in New Mexico from 2021.
The warrant was for violating probation and then vanishing.
The cases against her included several instances of horrific child abuse and animal abuse.
According to allegations made by her daughter, Martha killed puppies by throwing them into boiling water.
She plead guilty to the charges in 2019, before vanishing and violating her probation.
After collecting all of the details, the police returned to the house with a warrant where they were met by one of the Crouch children who alleged that their mother had died years ago and that one of their siblings had gone missing three years prior.
Acting on a tip from a stranger, the police searched the home and found Martha hiding behind a false wall in the house along with the supposedly missing 14-year-old daughter.
Martha was arrested on the outstanding warrant and had further charges of child abuse and obstructing police slapped on her.