48 Hours on ID is investigating the murder of Chris Grover, who was shot dead by the mother of their two children, Nicole “Nikki” Addimando, at their home in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 2017.
The case has proved controversial as opinion is divided between those who see Addimando as a cold-hearted murderer and those who see her as the victim of a serial abuser who was escaping her tormentor.
In the middle of the night on September 28, 2017, police officers encountered Addimando and her two young children in a car blocking a junction. When officers approached the young mother, she astonished them when she confessed to murdering her partner.
Addimando admitted to shooting Grover but claimed she done so in self-defense. She said he’d threatened her with a gun when she tried to leave and that she had been the victim of physical and emotional abuse since they’d met years ago.
When the police visited her apartment, they found Grover lying dead on a couch with a single gunshot in his head. They also found the shower running and a broken laptop in the bathtub.
Addimando said the pair had had a physical altercation on the night of the murder and that they had both tried to grab the gun; she allegedly just beat him to it.
Chris Grover had sexually abused Nicole Addimando
During the investigation, it emerged that Grover had inflicted abuse on his partner for years; he continuously forced Addimando to have violent sex with him and attacked her when she refused. He also filmed the abuse and uploaded it to a pornographic website without her consent.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelAt the start of 2020, Addimando was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 19 years in prison. The 32-year-old will be eligible for parole in 2036.
In 2019, the state of New York had passed the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, which allows for lenient sentencing in cases where the perpetrator experienced abuse. Addimando’s lawyers appealed her sentence citing this act; however, a judge dismissed the appeal stating that she had ample opportunity to escape Grover.
More from 48 Hours on ID
Follow the links to read about more crimes profiled on 48 Hours on ID.
Cayley Mandadi was a 19-year-old cheerleader from Houston, Texas, who was killed while attending a music festival with her boyfriend, Mark Howerton. The police charged Howerton with murder; however, to much surprise, the court case ended in a mistrial.
Christopher Brandon Lee was having an affair with a fellow marine’s wife, Erin Corwin. He killed her when she became pregnant and dumped her remains down an abandoned mineshaft in the Californian desert.
48 Hours on ID airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.
This case is a perfect example of “why” women are afraid and do not come forward to receive help with domestic abuse. As for the Mothers of abusers? They all say their child would never do that… To this day my ex mother in law doesn’t believe I was emotionally abused although all 3 sons have been divorced due to abuse? This case depicts the ignorance of a prosecutor who has never known abuse in any fashion. And WHY didn’t she look at all the medical reports?? This is sad and disgusting and due to this prosecutor and this case more women are suffering and will not get help and the abuse always gets worse thus resulting in more women dying not to mention more kids heads messed up creating future abusers.
If Chris was not abusing Nicole then why was he not questioning all the marks and burns on her? There are only 2 reasons he would not have been telling others she was hurting herself. 1. He thought it was cool that she was hurting herself or 2. He was the one hurting Nicole. She is innocent!
Nikki Manindo shouldnt of been put in prison that is so wrong on every level.
As an emotionally abused wife years ago and thankfully got out people don’t realize the hell you’re in. I did get kicked in the stomach several times while he was keeping my 18-month son away from me who was screaming bloody murder. That prosecutor should be shame of herself if you watched 20/20 this past Friday even the prosecutor from CA thought she got to harsh of a sentence at first. He agreed she was abused.