After exchanging vows, a couple’s post-wedding bliss turned tragic as their honeymoon took a dark twist. Jordan Linn Graham and Cody Johnson, who had tied the knot just eight days earlier, embarked on a hike in a Montana national park on July 8, 2013. The outing would tragically be Johnson’s final excursion. Graham, 25, reported her 22-year-old husband missing the following day, claiming he had left for a drive with a friend, but she could not produce the alleged text message as they habitually deleted their texts.
Subsequently, Graham recounted that Johnson had received a distressing phone call before leaving their residence in a dark vehicle. Two days later, on July 11, while hiking in Glacier Park, Graham claimed to have discovered her husband’s lifeless body at a precipitous viewpoint known as the Loop, where it was retrieved by a helicopter on July 12. Authorities voiced skepticism regarding the circumstances of her finding him, considering it highly unusual.
Amid mounting suspicions, Graham eventually confessed on July 16, admitting that she had lied about the events leading to Johnson’s death. She disclosed that an argument erupted over their relationship, during which Johnson grabbed her arm, prompting her to push him in retaliation, causing him to plummet off the cliff edge. Graham expressed remorse during a police interview and her subsequent trial, attributing the tragic incident to her marital discontent and impulsive actions.
Prior to the fatal confrontation, Graham had confided in a friend about her apprehensions regarding the marriage and had hinted at a forthcoming conversation with Johnson. Her acquaintance disclosed a text message from Graham indicating potential danger. Additionally, discrepancies emerged in Graham’s timeline surrounding the discovery of Johnson’s body, raising further doubts about her account.
Friends of the deceased voiced suspicions about Graham’s involvement in Johnson’s demise, expressing longstanding concerns about their relationship. Cameron Frederickson, a close associate, revealed his reservations about Johnson’s intentions to propose to Graham and his subsequent apprehensions.
Initially claiming Johnson’s death to be accidental, Graham ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during her trial. Consequently, prosecutors dropped a charge of premeditated first-degree murder and a count of providing false information to authorities. Despite her guilty plea, doubts lingered about the full extent of her transparency regarding the tragic events. In March 2014, she received a 30-year prison sentence for second-degree murder, without the possibility of parole, followed by five years of court supervision upon release.
