Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — Attorneys asked Monday for more time to review evidence in the case against a 17-year-old girl charged with aggravated murder in the death of Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Cory Wride.
It is unclear whether the case against Meagan Grunwald will be settled in a plea agreement or trial, but 4th District Judge Darold McDade said he didn't want to set many more hearings before setting a trial date. Attorneys assured him they would have a direction at Grunwald's next hearing on June 23.
Prosecutor Sam Pead said this is part of the normal process.
"I don't know that any decisions have been made on anything, but we've had open dialogue and will continue to talk about things," he said after the brief hearing. "We'll see where it all turns out."
Grunwald has been charged as an adult and is facing 12 total charges in connection with a Jan. 30 crime spree that left Wride dead and sheriff's deputy Greg Sherwood severely injured. Investigators believe Grunwald's boyfriend, Jose Angel Garcia-Juaregui, 27, fired the weapon while Grunwald acted as the getaway driver.
Her attorney, Dean Zabriskie, has maintained that the teenager was threatened and coerced into participating. He said Monday that he is expecting a trial date to be set for late fall, despite also acknowledging that he has been in talks with the Utah County Attorney's Office about "alternative resolutions in this case."
I think we're somewhat distant from getting to where (a plea deal) will materialize. Their needs and our needs are still not in focus.
–Dean Zabriskie, Meagan Grunwald's attorney
But he said he does not think a plea deal is a viable alternative at this point.
"I think we're somewhat distant from getting to where those will materialize," Zabriskie said. "Their needs and our needs are still not in focus."
Following a hearing on the evidence against Grunwald, Judge Darold McDade ordered the teenager to stand trial on 12 charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, two counts of attempted aggravated murder, and aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies.
She is also charged with criminal mischief, a second-degree felony, two counts of felony discharge of a firearm, possession or use of a controlled substance, and failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop, all third-degree felonies; criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor; and violation of operator duties for accident involving property damage, a class B misdemeanor.
Garcia-Juaregui was shot in a shootout with Juab County sheriff's deputies on Jan. 30 and died the next day.
Contributing: Sam Penrod
