Newlywed gets 30 years for pushing her husband off of cliff in national park
A Montana woman convicted of murder for pushing her husband of barely more than a week off of a cliff in Glacier National Park last summer was sentenced Thursday to 30 years and five months in federal prison.
The prosecution had sought a sentence of 50 years to life for Jordan Linn Graham, 22, and the defense had argued for a 10-year prison term, the Missoulian reported.
Graham pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder based on extreme recklessness. She said the slaying of Cody Johnson, 25, was an accident that occurred when she thoughtlessly pushed him during an argument, as they stood near the edge of a precipice. Then, in “complete shock and panic,” she tried to conceal his death rather than reporting it to authorities.
However, the prosecution and U.S. District Judge Don Molloy said they thought there was more to the story. Molloy also said at the Thursday hearing that Graham had not shown remorse for Johnson’s death.
“She was a normal person, at least on the surface,” Molloy said. “But how does a normal person kill her husband of eight days?”
Hat tip: Daily Mail.
See also:
Associated Press: “Bride faces prison for pushing husband off cliff”
Reuters: “Montana bride who pushed husband off cliff gets 30 years”
