Woman accused of killing boyfriend has new attorney
Motion to dismiss her indictment has been delayed as a result.
A hearing challenging the validity of a grand jury member’s signature on her indictment is on hold because the woman accused of killing her boyfriend with a shotgun has a new attorney.
Jessica Grieco, 34, will be represented by Marshall Lachman after a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge allowed to let Jeffrey Gramza withdraw as counsel.
“There has been a breakdown in communication between Jessica and me,” Gramza told this news organization.
Grieco was indicted July 26 on counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and domestic violence for the March 21 death of Peter Underwood, 32.
Judge Dennis Langer had scheduled a Sept. 29 hearing on Gramza’s motion to dismiss the indictment, but it now is delayed.
Gramza had disputed the legality of the signatures of a no bill and an indictment signed about 2½ hours apart on the same day, alleging that they don’t match: “Simply stated, the two signatures appear to have been made by two different people.”
Prosecutors responded to Gramza’s accusation with a motion to the court with a signed affidavit from the grand jury foreman, who said she signed both documents. The foreman did not mention why the signatures appear to be different.
Grieco told a 911 dispatcher she accidentally shot her fiancé while attempting to unload a gun to prevent him from committing suicide.
“He’s shot in the chest. Get here now!” Grieco yelled during the 911 call. “He’s going to die!”
Underwood lived in a home on Claggett Drive in Harrison Twp. where the shooting occurred. He died of a shotgun wound to the chest, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
Grieco repeatedly yelled, “Oh my God!” and said: “I tried to unload it. It went off because he was trying to commit suicide earlier. I had to take a rope from him earlier.”