Guilty verdict in manslaughter trial

Former Tenafly Police Officer Joseph Grieco was found guilty of first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his husband, John Kelly, on July 26, 2023, in Vernon, acting Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said.

According to testimony during the jury trial in Superior Court in Sussex County, Grieco, 38, and Kelly, 44, returned home after a night out with friends.

Grieco had consumed alcohol at the Vernon Veterans of Foreign Wars post on the evening of July 25, 2023, and continued to drink while at home with Kelly and friends.

In the early morning of July 26, 2023, Grieco retrieved his handgun, a Gen4 Glock Model 23, and began to handle it despite being warned multiple times that the firearm was loaded. The gun discharged, striking Kelly in the abdomen area.

Emergency services responded to the scene and took Kelly, a former New York City police officer, to a hospital in Warwick, N.Y., where he died of his injuries.

The trial lasted about a week.

“This tragic incident underscores the inherent recklessness of handling firearms under the influence of alcohol,” Murray said.

Grieco’s sentencing is scheduled March 20 before Judge Michael Gaus, who presided at the trial.

He is facing a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison.