Life Sentence Sought for Bride Who Pushed Husband Off Cliff

nbcnews.com

Federal prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a Montana bride whokilled her new husband by pushing him off a cliff at Glacier National Park during an argument and after expressing misgivings about their marriage.

The bride, 22-year-old Jordan Graham, struck a deal with prosecutors in December and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the high-profile July 7 death of her husband of eight days, Cody Johnson. She is due to be sentenced next week.

The agreement with prosecutors, which came just as closing arguments in her federal murder trial were set to begin, involved the dropping of a first-degree murder count that could have carried a mandatory life sentence.

Prosecutors said that Graham deliberately shoved Johnson, 25, off a rock ledge during a marital dispute while hiking a steep trail at Glacier and then lied to investigators and tried to cover up the crime.

After striking the plea deal, Graham admitted her guilt to U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, who presided over her trial in Missoula, Montana. She told the judge that her husband had grabbed her hand during the argument and that she "just pushed his hand off and just pushed away."

While a second-degree murder conviction may be punishable by life in prison, it can also result in a lesser sentence of about 20 years behind bars, with possible adjustments for accepting responsibility and other factors.