A Montana bride accused of killing her new husband by pushing him off a cliff at Glacier National Park has agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder, CNN reported on Thursday, citing remarks by prosecutors in court.
Jordan Graham, 22, had been on trial for first- and second- degree murder in the July 7 death of her husband of eight days, 25-year-old Cody Johnson. The plea agreement came as closing arguments were set to begin in the sensational case.
Federal prosecutors contend Graham deliberately shoved her husband off a rock ledge while the couple was hiking a steep trail at Glacier and then lied to investigators and tried to cover up the crime.
Graham's attorneys have said the death was an accident that happened during a marital dispute in which Johnson grabbed his wife's arm and jacket and she pulled away even as she pushed him.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Montana could not immediately be reached for comment. Defense attorneys for Graham also could not be reached.
