Newlywed killer gets 30-year prison term for killing husband

MISSOULA — A Kalispell woman was sentenced Thursday to more than 30 years in prison for killing her husband of eight days by pushing him from a cliff in Glacier National Park after they argued over her regrets about the marriage.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said he saw no remorse from Jordan Graham, 22, in the killing of Cody Johnson, 25. He sentenced her to 30 years and five months in prison and ordered her to pay $16,910 in restitution.

Graham will be subject to five years of court supervision upon her release. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system, meaning she’s likely to serve the full term.

A tearful Graham took the stand during Thursday’s sentencing hearing in Missoula, apologizing to her family and Johnson’s.

But Molloy indicated he had continuing doubts about the Kalispell woman’s honesty. The judge said he was waiting for Graham “to say she was sorry for killing Cody.”  

“There’s only one person in this room that knows what happened, and I don’t think she’s been entirely truthful about what happened,” Molloy said.

Prosecutors said Graham lured Johnson to a steep cliff in Glacier Park on July 7 and pushed him over, then lied repeatedly to investigators in an attempt to cover up the crime.

She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder just before closing arguments during her December trial, but tried unsuccessfully to retract that plea after prosecutors recommended a prison term of 50 years to life.

Prosecutors dropped a first-degree murder charge and a count of making a false statement to authorities when Graham changed her plea.

Graham addressed the judge and assembled friends and family members during the hearing, crying throughout her testimony. She claimed to still love Johnson.

“It was a moment of complete shock and panic,” Graham said. “I have no other explanation.”

Prosecutors said she drove away from the scene without checking to see if Johnson survived the fall.