While the women had been together for over 18 years after meeting at Northern State University with Jen often posting loving tributes to Sarah on social media, records released by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office November revealed marital issues.
In a 2010 e-mail, Jen described their home life as “very rollercoasterish.” She explained to a friend, “For quite some time I have felt very under appreciated, and taken for granted in our relationship…and at times unloved. While I know deep in my heart how much she loves me….she is just horrible about showing it.”
In a Facebook post in 2016, Jen wrote, “We’ve come to realize that some think our lives are next to perfect. We’re human, and we struggle through life’s Âobstacle course just like everyone else.” Later on, she looked back on the first half of 2017, claiming, “This. Year. Slammed. Us. Hard.”
But in November 2017, after they had moved to Washington, Sperling saw a small crack in the couple’s “perfect” image, when a worn down Sarah admitted to him, “I’m just so tired.” When he acknowledged how hard it must be to work full-time to support the family of eight (sometimes six days a week), Sperling remembered Sarah saying, “Thanks. I don’t hear that very often.”