Graswald
GOSHEN – Angelika Graswald of Poughkeepsie pled guilty in Orange
County Court on Monday to a charge of criminally negligent homicide in
connection with the drowning death of her fiancé, Vincent Viafore,
while they were kayaking on the Hudson River near New Windsor on April
19, 2015. He was 46 at the time of his death.
She faces 1 1/3 to four years in state prison, the maximum allowed under
the law, when sentenced in November.
Graswald, 37, admitted she caused Viafore’s drowning death by removing
the plug from his kayak. She also admitted she knew that the locking clip
to his kayak paddle was missing, that he was not wearing a life vest or
a wet suit, and knowing that the waters in the Hudson River where they
were kayaking were dangerously cold and rough at the time.
Graswald, who was wearing a life jacket, admitted her actions constituted
a gross deviation from the standard conduct that a reasonable person would
have observed in the situation and that her actions caused Viafore’s
death.
The couple was kayaking in separate vessels on April 19, 2015 when Viafore’s
overturned. His body was not recovered until May 23, 2015.
“This plea agreement was entered into after extensive consultation
with the victim’s family, who understand the reasons for the plea
agreement, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
Judge Robert Freehill found that the interests of justice would be served
by the plea agreement and that he believed it to be an appropriate disposition.
“While no outcome can compensate for the loss of a beloved son,
brother and uncle, this disposition will hopefully bring a measure of
closure to the Viafore family,” Hoovler said. “This plea ensures
that the defendant will be held criminally liable for her actions. By
pleading guilty the defendant has acknowledged that Vincent Viafore’s
death was not simply a traffic accident, but the result of this defendant’s
criminal conduct.”
