Woman accused of killing fiance by sabotaging his kayak

Angelika Graswald during a hearing in Goshen, N.Y., on May 13, 2015. (Allyse Pulliam / Times Herald-Record)

GOSHEN, N.Y. - The lawyer for a woman accused of killing her fiance by sabotaging his kayak on the Hudson River said it was an accident and that the couple had been drinking.

Angelika Graswald pleaded not guilty Friday morning through her lawyer. She faces murder and manslaughter charges.

Latvian-born Graswald is charged in the April 19 death of Vincent Viafore, whose body was found last weekend in the river near West Point.

Prosecutors say she removed a drain-plug from Viafore's kayak, then delayed calling for help and pushed a floating paddle away from him as he struggled in the water. She allegedly told investigators she was happy to know he was going to die.

Graswald's lawyer Richard Portale said outside of Orange County Court that "it's pretty clear that they were drinking."