Lakebay man gets 31 years for killing fiancée

A Lakebay man convicted of shooting his fiancée to death so he could pursue a relationship with another woman was sentenced Monday to 31 years in prison.

A Pierce County jury previously convicted William Grisso, 42, of first-degree murder in the death of Nancy Gardner.

Prosecutors argued Grisso drove Gardner to a secluded spot outside Belfair on June 29, 2014, and shot her in the head. He later reported the 45-year-old woman missing.

Grisso previously had tried to break off his engagement with Gardner so he could be with another woman, but Gardner, who’d moved from Texas to be with him, had refused to move out of the home they shared, court records show.

Detectives used cellphone records to find Gardner’s body and tie Grisso to the crime scene. He maintained his innocence at trial.

Relatives described Gardner as a trusting and loving person.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Lakebay man gets 31 years for killing fiancée."