IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. -- The Iredell County woman accused of murdering her husband pleaded guilty to embezzlement and financial crimes on Monday, but she maintained her husband's death was an accident.

Misty Witherspoon spoke out Monday at the Iredell County Courthouse about the charges she admitted to and about the death of her husband, Quinn Witherspoon.

"This has been a very hard year and a half for us as a family,” she said.

In all, Witherspoon pleaded guilty to 37 counts of embezzlement and three counts of financial identity fraud.

"I'm glad to put an end to this part of it today. I'm ready to face the next part and put an end to that," she said.

Witherspoon was charged with embezzling more than $27,000 from her church, Whitman Park Baptist in Mooresville. She was also charged with getting credits cards in her sister's name.

Her attorney, Andrew Jennings, says she pleaded guilty because she wanted to take responsibility for the crimes against her church and sister. He adds the case against his client is suspect because back in 2004, she paid back restitution to her church and neither her sister nor her church filed any charges against her.

"They want to make her look as bad as they can – go to her credibility in what she says happened on the day of her husband's death," Jennings explained.

Iredell County Assistant District Attorney Alan B. Martin helped to come up with the plea agreement.

"Things went as expected today,” he said. “She entered the pleas that we negotiated, we entered the dismissals that we negotiated, and the court accepted the agreement."

Quinn Witherspoon's father, Bob Witherspoon, says he still supports his daughter-in-law.

“We're still behind her 100 percent," he said Monday in front of the courthouse.

Bob Witherspoon – along with several other supporters – were by Misty Witherspoon's side in court. She maintains that her husband's death was an accident and is ready to put the entire ordeal behind her.

"I have put that in the Lord's hands and we're going to be OK and we're ready," she said.

Witherspoon remains out on bond. She will face sentencing for her financial crimes at the same time she goes before a judge for the homicide charges on June 25.