Roberta Samara killed her husband, but claimed it was an accident

On November 16, 2015, in Millersburg, Oregon, a hysterical woman called 911 and admitted to dispatchers that she had killed her husband before the police arrived.

Roberta Samard, 62, claimed her husband left for work but returned unexpectedly.

“They start talking to Roberta,” said journalist Ashley Korslien Snappedairs Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen. “She looks a little off. She tells them, “I did it.” I shot my husband. But she planned to commit suicide… she accidentally shot him.

When police arrived, they found the body of 57-year-old Ken Samard on the back porch of the home. A gun was discovered near the back door.

“I was really sad and depressed,” Roberta told police during questioning. “They will take away our house. And I just couldn’t take it anymore. I just couldn’t face it all… I tried to shoot myself, not him.”

Roberta agreed to do a reconstruction with the police.

“The way she presented it, it was possible,” said Mike Harmon, former Linn County sheriff’s detective, w Snapped. “I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe her so badly.

The police discover that Roberta Samard was hiding financial problems from her husband

Ken and Roberta Samard first met in 1996, after their divorce.

“She was nice. She was friendly,” Danielle Larsen, Ken Samard’s daughter, said later Snapped. “She always had a smile on her face. It seemed to make my dad happy.

They married in Las Vegas on September 2, 2000. However, after 13 years of marriage, the paper mill where they were employed closed and they both lost their jobs. Eventually, Ken enrolled in college to become an HVAC engineer.

Despite Roberta claiming to be suicidal and admitting their home was in foreclosure, family and friends had no idea their marriage was in crisis.

“Ken and Roberta seemed really happy when they were together,” continued Kaliska King, Ken’s niece Snapped. “They would joke around and enjoy each other’s company.”

When police searched the house after Ken’s death, they found a foreclosure notice at the bottom of a clothes bin. The documents only bore Roberta’s signature. A notebook found on Ken’s desk also shed light on their marriage.

“There were notes about Roberta controlling the money. He always had to ask permission for money or to spend it,” Harmon said. “It’s pretty clear that Ken can’t calculate where his money or their money is going.”

Ken also indicated in the notebook that he was considering leaving Roberta.

“I think he was almost ready to end the relationship,” Harmon said.

Family and friends said Roberta loved shopping.

“I just can’t imagine that if you don’t have money to pay for a house, why would you buy your friends extravagant gifts,” Harmon said. “Apart from giving the impression that you’re wealthy and living a great life.

Ken Samard was evicted from his home and was unaware of it

A local pinball machine helped police put together the puzzle about the Samardas’ marriage. Brian Smith called officers after seeing the story of Roberta’s arrest on TV and told them he was the actual owner of the Samard home.

“We have learned that Roberta has been working with the new owner to stay in the home for a few more weeks,” Harmon said. “Which time came and went, so she got another extension. We guess Ken never knew about it.

Smith confirmed that Ken probably had no idea he was being evicted and his house was sold without his knowledge.

“They asked if I had talked to my husband,” Smith added Snapped. – No, I’ve never seen him. I’ve never talked to him. I only took care of Roberta.

But Roberta’s deception went beyond that.

“The day Ken died was supposed to be the day they packed up and moved out of that house. There were no moving boxes,” Harmon said.

An autopsy leaves Roberta Samard’s story in ruins

On November 17, 2015, an autopsy was performed on Ken Samard.

“The autopsy showed that there were no gunshot marks on Ken’s hands, indicating that he most likely did not attempt to take the gun from her or interfere,” Korslien said.

Ken’s wound also provided insight into what happened.

“The evidence shows that her arm was extended and she intentionally pulled the trigger to kill Ken Samard,” Harmon said.

Additionally, the gun’s trigger itself was analyzed and found to be difficult to pull.

“You had to press the trigger pretty hard for it to go off, which tells them, ‘You did it on purpose.’ It was intentional,” Korslien said.

In April 2017, a jury found Roberta Samard guilty of murdering her husband Ken. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison and will be released in 2040 at the age of 87.

However, many still wonder why she did it.

“What was the purpose of this?” Harmon said. “I still think it was a murder-suicide. Maybe she wanted to save Ken from the shame of losing his home. But she chickened out.”

One of my friends has a different theory.

“She built a house of cards on lies and deceit, and under the pressure she crumbled,” said Sean Whitacre, Ken’s friend, Snapped.

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