Family and friends testified that Cody Johnson, 25, was in love with his new bride, Jordan Graham, 22, but she only seemed infatuated.
A Montana man who was shoved off a cliff by his new wife canceled plans to go kayaking and golfing the day of his death because she said she had a “surprise” for him, prosecutors said.
Stephen Rutledge, stepfather to defendant Jordan Linn Graham, told jurors in U.S. District Court in Missoula that he’d chatted with her new husband about taking to the water on the morning of July 7.
Michael Gallacher/The Missoulian/AP
Jordan Graham (center) has pleaded not guilty to first- and second-degree murder of her husband of eight days.
RELATED: WOMAN THREATENED TO KILL PARENTS WEEKS BEFORE HUSBAND DIED
But his stepdaughter’s alleged victim, Cody Johnson, told him he’d decided not to go that day because his bride of eight days “had a surprise” for him.
Cody Johnson Memorial Page/via Facebook
Cody Johnson allegedly canceled plans to go kayaking and golfing the day his murder, witnesses testified in court.
Rutledge’s account was backed up by Eddie Alberto Colon, who testified Wednesday that his pal Johnson had called off a round of golf for the same reason.
RELATED: MONTANA NEWLY-WED BLINDFOLDED HUSBAND BEFORE PUSHING HIM OFF CLIFF: PROSECUTORS
NBC News/nbcmontana.com
Cody Johnson and Jordan Graham had been married a little more than a week when he plummeted to his death. The defense claims Graham pushed him out of self-defense during an argument.
Graham, 22, has already admitted pushing Johnson 200 feet off a cliff in Glacier National Park. But she claims it was self-defense during an argument.
Federal prosecutors, however, claim she meant to kill her spouse — and point to texts she sent to a friend saying she was “unhappy” in her marriage, reports The Missoulian.
Matt McKnight/REUTERS
The newlywed fell to his death at Glacier National Park in Montana. Witnesses say Cody Johnson agreed to go on the hike because his bride had a ‘surprise’ for him.
RELATED: NEWLYWED WHO SHOVED HUSBAND OFF CLIFF CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
Graham has pleaded not guilty to first- and second-degree murder.
NBC News/nbcmontana.com
Cameron Fredrickson, friend of Cody Lee Johnson, testified that he never thought the marriage would work out.
Johnson’s mom and other friends and family also testified that Johnson was “much more in love” with Graham than she was with him.
RELATED: NEWLYWED FATALLY SHOVES HUSBAND OFF A CLIFF JUST 1 WEEK AFTER WEDDING
KURT WILSON/AP
Jordan Graham allegedly set up a fake email account for a person named ‘Tony’ to make it seem like ‘Tony’ was with her husband when he died.
Brad Blasdel, a close friend, claimed Johnson was “infatuated” with his wife but that “it seemed one-sided.” And Cameron Fredrickson testified he never thought the marriage would work out.
Deputy Flathead County Coroner Richard Sine testified that when Johnson, 25, was found in a small pool below a cliff, he wasn’t wearing his wedding ring and did not have a set of keys on him.
As well as the murder charges, Graham faces allegations of making false statements, reports NBC News.
Prosecutors claim she initially told friends, family and cops that the last time she’d seen her husband was when he went off with a friend in his car.
They allege she created a fake email account to send messages to herself from a person called “Tony” who said her husband had fallen to his death while hiking.
And they say she claimed to have only found his body after going to a spot where he liked to hang out with his friends.
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