Angelika Graswald Released After Serving 6 Weeks In Prison
Angelika Graswald [People.com/screenshot]
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — The Latvian woman who watched her fiancé drown in the Hudson River was released from prison Thursday — and headed straight to a martini and steak lunch.
Angelika Graswald, 37, was released from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester just a few weeks after she was sentenced for criminally negligent homicide in the July 2015 death of her fiancé.
Graswald had been facing second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the death of Vincent Viafore, 46, whose kayak capsized on the Hudson River on April 19, 2015.
Police said Graswald admitted to watching her lover drown and to having pulled the drain plug from his kayak. She also allegedly told investigators: “I wanted him dead and now he’s gone … and I’m ok with it.”
But following a plea bargain, she was sentenced to time served after being in jail since her 2015 arrest.
“Angelika is so grateful to be here today,” her lawyer, Richard Portale, said outside the courthouse, according to the New York Post. “She is grateful for this day. She’s excited to be able to reconnect with her family in a meaningful way. She plans to FaceTime her family as soon as we can.”
Portale reportedly added, “She’s going to take a deep breath of fresh air and then enjoy a nice steak.”
Graswald, her lawyer, and two other women reportedly drove off to the Lexington Square Café, where they were served martinis in a private room. According to the New York Post, Graswald then ate a $38 steak cooked medium during the two-hour lunch.
Prosecutors alleged that Graswald wanted to kill Viafore for his $250,000 life insurance policies. She has always maintained that his death was a tragic accident.
Graswald now faces 16 months of parole and when they are up, potential deportation to her native Latvia.
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Read more: New York Post
