A Latvian expatriate accused of killing her fiance while out paddling on the Hudson River admitted to tampering with his kayak and later confessed "it felt good knowing he would die," a New York prosecutor said.
Angelika Graswald, 35, has been indicted on a second-degree murder charge in the death of Vincent Viafore in choppy, chilly water on April 19. Police say he died 80km north of New York City near Bannerman Island, near the east shore where Graswald volunteered as a gardener.
Viafore, 46, was not wearing a life jacket and his body hasn't been found. The decision to arrest Graswald had astounded family and friends, who believed the death was a tragic accident.
Assistant District Attorney Julie Mohl said at a bail hearing on Wednesday that Graswald felt trapped and stood to benefit by US$250,000 from life insurance.
Mohl did not detail how Graswald tampered with her fiance's kayak but said it filled with water and capsized. Viafore held onto his boat for five to 10 minutes, but Graswald called police some 20 minutes after his kayak turned over. Witnesses say she intentionally capsized her own kayak, Mohl said.
Graswald was rescued by another boater and treated for hypothermia.