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PROVO — Nearly 100 names have been submitted by the state as potential witnesses to testify in the upcoming trial of a woman charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Cory Wride.
The trial of Meagan Grunwald, 18, is scheduled to begin in two weeks. She is charged with aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, all first-degree felonies, in addition to seven other charges.
Grunwald was 17 when she and Jose Angel Garcia-Juaregui, 27, allegedly led police on a Jan. 30, 2014, crime spree that started with the shooting death of Wride in Eagle Mountain. That was followed by the shooting of another deputy, Greg Sherwood, in Santaquin, a carjacking in Nephi, and shots fired at pursuing officers on I-15 before Garcia was killed in a final gun battle south of Nephi.
If convicted, Grunwald faces up to life in prison. She has already rejected a plea deal settlement in the case.
Late last week, the Utah County Attorney's Office submitted its list of potential witnesses and evidence it will present during the upcoming trial. The list included Sherwood, Grunwald's parents, numerous investigators from multiple police agencies, as well as bystanders who witnessed Grunwald at many of the alleged events, according to court documents. Garcia's uncle and brother are also on the list as potential witnesses.
The state contends that Garcia called his uncle in Texas after Wride was shot and told him in Spanish, "I'm with my girlfriend's people. They are protecting me."
Deputy killed, another injured in shootings, officials say
A deputy who was entering his 20th year of service with the Utah County Sheriff's Office was shot and killed Thursday afternoon during a traffic stop in Eagle Mountain.Prosecutors argued the statement is evidence of a joint criminal venture between Garcia and Grunwald. But during a hearing in February, Grunwald's defense attorneys successfully argued it was hearsay. The judge said he would reconsider the issue if the uncle is brought to Utah to testify.
Although Garcia is believed to be the one who fired all of the shots, prosecutors were expected to argue at trial that Grunwald was a willing and active participant who continued to follow her boyfriend even when she had the chance to run from him.
The defense was expected to counter that Garcia threatened Grunwald and her family with violence if she did not do what he told her and that she was forced to go along with him.
In addition, the state may introduce up to 30 items of evidence during trial, including numerous dash-cam video from pursuing police cars, as well as written and recorded statements from Grunwald herself.
Trial was scheduled to begin April 28.
