Crystal Straus tied the knot with a man originally convicted of killing her half-brother back in 1987.
57-year-old John Tiedjen, who was released from prison after being convicted in the shooting death of Brian McGary, said “I do” as he awaits a new trial in the alleged murder, News 5 Cleveland reports.
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"With all my heart I love her, there is nobody else I think about, and I want to be with her my whole life," Tiedjen said. “And I wrote her a letter back and I said I didn’t do it, take a look at this stuff. I believe in God too, and I know things about it, but I didn’t do it.”
Tiedjen served 32 years in prison after a then 18-year-old McGary was found dead in the apartment the two men shared. He was released on July 22. Today, the alleged killer maintains his innocence.
“I had no powder burns, no gunshot residue, no blood, no cuts, no scrapes, nothing on my person or me or my clothing," he told the outlet.
The bride and groom married at Tiedjen’s home, where he is currently on house arrest until his new trial. His attorney, Kimberly Corral, officiated their wedding.
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“I love him, obviously,” Straus said. “If I didn’t love him, I would not be sitting here with him.”
Staus said that she spent her time under COVID-19 lockdown analyzing and learning about the case.
On the night of the crime, McGary’s body was found on the bed lying next to a bloody knife in a pool of blood. McGary had an inch-deep stab wound to the chest and gunshot wound to the forehead. A .22-caliber rifle was lying at this feet, according to Boston 25. After an intense interrogation, Tiedjen signed a statement that said he shot his roommate in self-defense.
“We’ll get through this,” Straus said according to News 5 Cleveland. “It’s going to be a challenge, there’s no doubt about it.”
“It’s definitely not a fairy tale,” Attorney Corral said of the romance, according to the Washington Post. “But it’s so genuine.”
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