PROVO, Utah -- A woman charged in connection with the death of a Utah County Sheriff's Office sergeant was in court Monday morning for a pre-trial hearing.
Meagan Grunwald is charged with the murder of Utah Co. Sheriff's Sgt. Cory Wride and the attempted murder of Deputy Greg Sherwood.
Grunwald and her boyfriend, Jose Garcia Juaregui, led police on a nearly 2-hour long chase back in January that went through out Utah county and into Juab county. Juaregui, the suspected shooter, was himself shot and killed by police. Grunwald was arrested and charged and has been in jail ever since.
With a deadline approaching for a potential plea deal, Grunwald's attorney filed a formal motion stating Meagan was compelled to act that day and she was another victim in the case.
"Whatever she did and whatever they think her participation was, that it was the end result of her being threatened by [Juaregui], and more particularly by having a gun pointed at her almost during the entire episode," said Dean Zabriskie, Grunwald's attorney.
But Utah County Prosecutor Sam Pead said evidence to support Zabriskie's claim hasn't been presented.
"Actions speak louder than words and we haven't seen any evidence in this case, in any of our investigation, that would show she was compelled. And we see a motive of love and loyalty and we believe that what evidence we presented at the preliminary hearing and that we would present at trial supports that," Pead said.
Grunwald is due back in court on November 24.
