Hudson Valley Mom Who Killed Father of Kids Gets Reduced Sentence

A Dutchess County woman who murdered the father of her children could be out of prison in two years.

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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.

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.

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Investigators 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 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.

In April 2018, a Dutchess County jury found Addimando guilty of murder after three days of deliberation.

“The defendant’s allegations of abuse and self-defense were exhaustively investigated for two years by many detectives and law enforcement agencies.” Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy said. “We took the defendant’s claims of abuse very seriously. In the end, everything pointed to the fact that Christopher Grover was asleep when the defendant executed him, and there was no evidence that he had ever abused her. In fact, there was evidence that she was extremely verbally abusive to him and planned the murder in advance. Fortunately, she didn’t get away with it. The jury reviewed the extensive forensic evidence and trial testimony and unanimously rejected the defendant’s claims.”

The Putnam District Attorney’s office was named a special prosecutor on the case due to a conflict with the Dutchess County District Attorney’s office.

In February 2020, Addimando was sentenced to 19-years to life in prison.

In April, Hudson Valley Post reported Addimando was appealing her sentence believing her constitutional rights were violated during her prosecution and trial.

On Thursday, a New York appeal’s court determined Addimando should have been sentenced under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act.  A judge reduced her sentence to 7.5 years, with five years of parole.

She could be released from prison in two to three years with good behavior, according to the We Stand With Nikki Facebook group.

"In a system where 90% of appeals are denied, and where even a favorable outcome was likely to land back in Judge McLoughlin’s court, this decision is good news," the We Stand With Nikki Facebook group stated. "The Court decided that Nikki should have been sentenced under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA), validating her experience of severe abuse at the hands of her partner. They believed her. And the law finally worked as it was intended."