Tapes from 22-year-old Jordan Graham's FBI interrogations were released on Monday, revealing the various stories the newlywed who admitted to pushing her husband off a cliff told police over the course of the investigation.
Montana native Graham is currently on trial for reportedly pushing her husband of eight days, 25-year-old Cody Johnson, off a cliff in Glacier National Park. She admitted to killing Johnson in an act of second degree murder last week.
"He went to grab my arm and my jacket and I said no, I said, I'm not going to let this happen this time, I'm going to defend myself," she stated in one of her FBI interviews. "So I let go and I pushed and he went over and then I took off and went home."
Graham and Johnson reportedly were jubilant in the weeks before their wedding, but as soon as eight days after they took vows, the two started encountering serious issues. Graham and Johnson allegedly agreed to go to the National Park to talk about their relationship on the evening of July 7. According to ABC News, they walked along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, descended a rocky incline, and stopped at the edge of a cliff situated a few hundred feet over a ravine.
An argument ensued as Graham revealed to Johnson that she wasn't happy and didn't want to be married any longer. As the situation escalated, Graham said that Johnson grabbed her arm, and she tried to fend him off of her.
"I wasn't thinking about where we were," she said. "I just pushed."
She allegedly peeled Johnson off of her, then shoved him with on hand on his back and one on his shoulder. She told the FBI that she hadn't anticipated pushing Johnson, but it was "definitely reckless with an extreme disregard" for his life.
Graham then went back to her car and drove home, she stated.
"At that moment, I was so scared, I didn't know what to do," the 22-year-old said.
Footage from the initial interviews showed Graham telling officials that her husband was out of town.
"He was going to go for a ride with some of his out-of-town buddies that we're visiting," she told police. "I don't know anything more."
The next day, Graham returned to the police station to show officers an email from a person named "Tony" who insisted she let the case go. But further investigation by police proved that the e-mail address was a phony that had been opened on Graham's step-father's computer.
Graham could receive a life sentence in prison, along with a $250,000 fine for the crime, if she's found guilty. Her sentencing date has been scheduled for March 27.
