Husband of former Monroe resident pleads guilty to wife’s murder

The husband of former Monroe resident Jesse Arguinzoni Olsen faces 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing her last year in a Japanese hotel, according to Stars and Stripes.

The U.S. military publication reported that at a hearing last week at Naval Base San Diego, U.S. Navy officer Christopher Olsen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in last October’s death of Arguinzoni Olsen.

“Wednesday’s outcome brings some accountability, but it can never balance the loss of Jesse’s life,” her sister, Dominique Arguinzoni, told The Photo News. “Restitution for her funeral expenses has been received, yet no amount of money can ever ease the pain of losing her. Our family’s focus has never been financial, it is on honoring Jesse’s memory, keeping her voice alive and seeking true justice in her name. We are thankful the court listened, but our greatest hope is that Jesse is remembered for the joy, love and light she brought to others. For us, this journey is not over. Our fight for Jesse continues.”

Olsen, 37, was found dead in a hotel room in Fukuoka, northeast of Sasebo Naval Base, Japan, on Oct. 28, 2024. The Navy alleged that Christopher Olsen – at the time assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans at Sasebo – killed his wife by “strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head,” Stars and Stripes reports.

“He claims he was blackout drunk and only remembers bits and pieces from that night,” said Arguinzoni when asked about a possible motive. “He states he remembers that he was extremely angry but does not recall why.”

Originally from Monroe, Arguinzoni said she and her family are now living in Goshen.