A Hudson Valley woman convicted of murdering the father of her children as he slept sought a reduced sentence under a new law.

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On Sept. 28, 2017, Christopher Grover was found dead from a gunshot wound in the Town of Poughkeepsie home he shared with Nicole Addimando, a 2007 FDR graduate.

In April 2019, a Dutchess County jury found Addimando guilty of murder after three days of deliberation.

Shortly after the shooting, a Poughkeepsie police officer found Addimando in her car sitting at a traffic light. When the officer approached the car, she told the officer she just killed her boyfriend in self-defense and claimed she had been abused for years by Grover, officials say.

Investigators say they began what was described as a "painstaking six-month investigation"  involving phone records, internet searches, computer forensics, dozens of interviews, and more to determine there were inconsistencies in the Addimando's alleged history of abuse and her claims of self-defense.

There was also overwhelming evidence the murder was intentional, officials say.

Evidence at the trial proved Grover was killed by a point-blank shot to his head while he was sleeping on his couch, officials say.

At the time of his murder, Grover was the head-coach at Mr. Todd’s Gymnastics in Poughkeepsie. According to his obituary, Grover graduated from Red Hook High School in 2006. He previously coached gymnastics at Fly High Gymnastics in Red Hook.

Addimando, who faces 25 years to life when sentenced, hoped to be considered for a shorter sentence under a new law, the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. Last May, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. According to the governor's office,  the bill orders sentence reductions for domestic abuse survivors.

On Wednesday, a Dutchess County judge ruled Addimando will not receive a shorter sentence under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act.

“We are deeply disappointed in the Court’s decision involving domestic violence survivor Nikki Addimando," Sanctuary for Families, a non-profit that helps survivors of domestic abuse, said in a statement. "The Court failed to take into account the complexities of coercive control, trauma bonding, and a life-long history of severe and repeated trauma, which are central to an understanding of the full nature and circumstances of this case and Ms. Addimando’s actions. The Domestic Violence Justice Survivors Act (DVSJA) was intended for cases just like this one. Given the extensive evidence presented at trial of repeated sexual and physical abuse spanning virtually her entire life, it is difficult to understand the Court’s conclusion that both the letter and spirit of the Act do not apply in Ms. Addimando’s case.”

Addimando is expected to be sentenced next week.

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