During a night of drinking, a retired police officer from New Jersey was found guilty of shooting and killing his husband, who was also a former police officer. The incident occurred while the officer was showing how to kill a snake. The veteran was sentenced to more than 10 years in jail.
In January, a jury decided that Joseph Grieco, 38 years old, was responsible for the death of his husband, John Kelly, 44 years old, in Vienna Township in 2023. Mr. Grieco was found guilty of first-degree aggravated manslaughter. According to a press release issued by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, Grieco was given a sentence of eleven years in jail this past Wednesday by a judge.
According to the prosecution, the pair went to a local VFW on the evening of July 25, 2023, in order to drink with one another. The party proceeded in Grieco and Kelly’s house, where they were joined by their friends. In order to play around with it, Grieco pulled out a Gen4 Glock Model 23 and began operating it. Attendees at the party informed Grieco that the firearm was loaded.
It was stated by NJ.com that Grieco was demonstrating to others how to kill a snake. The gun went off, and Kelly, who had previously served as a police officer in New York City, was struck in the torso. In response, paramedics arrived and transported Kelly to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead by the attending physicians.
In order for Grieco to be eligible for parole, he will first be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence. At the same time as the defense was requesting five years in jail, the prosecution was requesting a sentence of twenty years in prison.
“The sentencing by the Court underscores the importance of safe and responsible gun ownership and the deadly consequences that can occur should a person disregard this responsibility,” Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Sahil K. Kabse said in a statement.
It was through a mutual friend that Kelly and Grieco were introduced to one another, and according to Kelly’s obituary, “the relationship quickly took shape.” The couple, who had been together for 14 years, had ambitious aspirations for the future.
At the time of Kelly’s passing, the obituary described her passing as a “tragic accident.” “Two years ago, John and Joe purchased a New Jersey mountaintop property bordering New York State and began clearing the property with a plan to build their forever home,” the obituary stated.
