NY woman who caused death of fiancé, wins $500,000 life insurance money -Angelika Graswald was convicted of killing Vincent Viafore after admitting she pulled the drain plug from his kayak
Woman who pulled plug from her fiance’s kayak wins portion of his life insurance money despite being convicted of killing him
Angelika Graswald won an undisclosed portion of her fiancé’s Vincent Viafore’s $500,000 insurance payout on Monday
Graswald, 37, pled guilty to negligent homicide last year instead of murder after admitting she caused his death by pulling the drain plug from his kayak during a 2015 trip down New York’s Hudson river
After two-and-half years in jail, Graswald a Latvian immigrant was released from in Dec for time served and is now in a halfway house
She has spent the time since then trying to land the 45 per cent of his $1million life insurance policy payout resulting in a bitter court battle with Viafore’s mother and sister
On Monday, she was awarded an undisclosed settlement from his mother and sister
By law, she was technically still allowed to claim the money but Vincent’s distraught family tried to stop her
Viafore’s mother and sister, the other beneficiaries, said they are ‘happy’ the matter is now behind them
Angelika Graswald, [seen leaving court on Monday], was awarded an undisclosed portion of the $500,000 her fiancé left her in his life insurance payout after she caused his death in 2015
Angelika Graswald was freed from prison in December, two years after watching her 46-year-old fiancé Vincent Viafore being swept away by choppy waters on New York’s Hudson River.
She pulled a drain plug out from his kayak and pushed a paddle away from him as he got into choppy waters.
Last year, the 37-year-old pled guilty to negligent homicide and she was sentenced to up to four years in prison.
“It felt good knowing he was going to die,”because she felt trapped in the relationship” – Angelika Graswald [left] earlier, admitted to investigators that she caused Viafore’s death because she wanted to be ‘free from his sex demands and threesome desires’
Graswald, a Latvian immigrant, was released six weeks after her conviction based on the two-and-a-half years she spent behind bars waiting for her trial.
She has spent the time since then trying to land the 45 per cent of his $1million life insurance policy payout and on Monday, she was awarded an undisclosed settlement from his mother and sister.
‘There is a financial settlement, the amount of which is confidential,’ said Anthony Piscionere, her attorney.
The man’s family, who had tried to stop her from winning anything, said they were happy the matter was now behind them.
Angelika pulled the drain plug out of her fiancé, Vincent Viafore’s kayak during a trip on the Hudson River in New York in 2015. She wanted him dead because she had grown tired of his incessant sex demands, it was claimed
Angelika Graswald [left], pulled out the drain plug on her fiancé’s kayak (pictured) which caused it to fill up with water. She also pushed away a paddle which he could have used to save himself
Victim Vincent Graswald and his mother, Mary Ann who after the bitter court battle says she is now glad the matter was behind her
Vincent’s distraught mother Mary Ann fought Graswald’s attempts to get the money but said on Monday she was happy the matter was behind her
The settlement gives Viafore’s mother and sister at least $500,000 – the money the have been entitled to since he died – plus whatever remained of the other half after Graswald’s payout was factored in.
In January, they were stubborn in their view that she should not see a penny.
‘It’s been a nightmare for the last almost three years. She doesn’t deserve the money. She caused his death!’ Vincent’s mother Mary Ann said.
‘Of course she was reckless. She removed the cap, and the kayak filled up and he went in the river. And then she did something to the paddle,’
When Vincent died, his fiancée was named as the beneficiary of half of his life insurance policy which entitled her to a payout of $491,000.
His mother and sister were listed as the beneficiaries of the other half.
They appealed to the court to issue an order which stops her from claiming the money.
Angelika Graswald pled guilty in Orange County Court, NY, over the 2015 death of her fiancé, Vincent Viafore on New York’s Hudson River
Graswald presented an avid social media presence with multiple posts in the days after her fiancé’s death – she posted happy videos and selfies
After her release in December, Portale, Graswald’s attorney, whisked her out of jail and to an upscale restaurant where she ate steak and drank wine.
She was still wearing her prison trousers when she was released.
Related: Upstate New York woman whines about sentence in fiancé’s kayak death: ‘I don’t believe I was treated fairly’! Judge excoriates self-absorbed killer
Orange County ADA Julie Mohl said in 2015 that Graswald [above] admitted tampering with Viafore’s kayak and intentionally capsized her own craft
Angelika Graswald admitted she caused the death of her fiance Vincent Viafore
Graswald is a Latvian immigrant and Viafore’s family are from New York, It is not clear how long the pair had been together when he died. However, during the course of her prosecution, police uncovered diary entries she had made before Vincent’s death where she complained about his sex requests.
They also pointed to selfies she posted on social media, days after he was killed, which they said proved she was happy he had died.
She maintains that his death was an accident and that she has been treated unfairly.
‘I loved Vince very much and miss him terribly.’
‘I don’t believe I was treated fairly.
‘This entire process was incredibly one-sided and unjust,’ she said in a statement which was read by her lawyer after she was released.
Had she been convicted of murder, Graswald would have been prevented from claiming the money under the slayer law which stops murderers profiting from their crimes by way of inheritance.
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