VIDEO: Utah Jury Finds Woman Guilty of Murder in Killing of Sgt. Cory Wride
After deliberating for a little more than 11 hours, a Utah jury found 18-year-old Meagan Grunwald guilty of aggravated murder, aggravated attempted murder, and nine other charges in connection with the death of Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Cory Wride and the shooting of Deputy Greg Sherwood.
Grunwald appeared stunned and cried as the jury’s verdict was read. Behind Grunwald, her mother, Tori, sobbed. Members of the six woman, two man jury also appeared very emotional. The Wride family sat quietly, hugging each other afterward.
Grunwald was found guilty of 11 of the 12 charges she faced. The only charge the jury acquitted her on was attempted aggravated murder involving a Utah Highway Patrol trooper whom prosecutors said was shot at during a high-speed chase on I-15 on Jan. 30, 2014.
The family of Sgt. Cory Wride said they were satisfied with the verdict.
“We feel gratified about it, but we also realize that a young lady has really made some mistakes that she has to account for and that’s difficult to see,” said Sgt. Wride’s father, Blake Wride. “Nobody comes out a winner on this one, but justice has to be satisfied and I think it has been.”
Greg Sherwood told FOX 13 he was glad the ordeal was over. He was shot in the head and survived.
Police and prosecutors said that on Jan. 30, 2014, Grunwald — then 17 — and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Jose Angel Garcia Jauregui, were stopped alongside a road in Eagle Mountain when they were approached by Sgt. Wride, who was trying to see if they were OK.
When Wride went back to his patrol vehicle he was shot through the windshield and killed. Garcia Jauregui and Grunwald then led officers on a multiple jurisdiction chase. During that pursuit Dep. Sherwood was shot. The pursuit ended when Garcia Jauregui was mortally wounded by law enforcement.
Even though she did not pull the trigger, Grunwald faced aggravated murder because Utah law does not allow for aiding and abetting.
