New York woman pleads guilty to reckless homicide

A woman from New York has pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in connection with a drug overdose case from 2018. Diana Lynn Grosso, 65, was scheduled to go on trial for second-degree murder but changed her plea just days before the trial was set to start. The case involves the death of Julia Meade, a woman from Cumberland County who died from what was initially reported as acute fentanyl toxicity. It was alleged that Grosso provided Meade with fentanyl-laced cocaine, thinking it was pure cocaine. Recent updates to the autopsy report revealed additional health issues that contributed to Meade's death, which played a role in Grosso’s decision to plea. Grosso's guilty plea comes as a way to avoid the risks of a jury trial, which could have resulted in a much longer prison sentence. By pleading guilty to the lesser charge, she accepted a three-year sentence. The judge will decide her punishment at a sentencing hearing slated for June. During the hearing, evidence was presented to support the plea agreement. Investigators found that the Meade couple had been purchasing drugs from Grosso since 2006. Although Grosso maintains her bond until the sentencing, she faces three potential options for her punishment, ranging from serving the full three years in prison to probation. The legal process surrounding this case has been complicated, with multiple hearings and challenges regarding jurisdiction. Grosso’s lawyer argued that she was not in Tennessee when Meade died, further complicating the prosecution’s case.