Monday was supposed to be the start of the Magen Hall murder trial for the death of Pottsville businessman Pat Murphy back in 2019. But another delay in the pre-trial slog means Monday is the day we’ll find out the latest new trial date.
On April 11, Hall appeared in a New Orleans court with her attorney, Devin Jones. She’s facing life in prison on a second-degree murder charge and more years on armed robbery and obstruction of justice charges.
Hall is accused of murdering Murphy back in February 2019 in a New Orleans hotel room. Police say surveillance footage shows Hall and Murphy entering The Empress Hotel together but her leaving alone a few hours later.
Hotel staff discovered Murphy’s body the following morning in the room the two rented. Police say Murphy was stabbed 3 times.
Murphy had been in New Orleans with his wife at the time, on their way home from a trip to Arizona. Hall has an arrest record for solicitation though it’s unclear, at the moment, why Hall and Murphy were together that night.
At Hall’s latest court appearance, a judge granted the state’s motion for a continuance before the start of the trial.
Both legal teams in this case were instructed to pick a new trial date by April 18. Hall has been in prison for 36½ months awaiting trial. She recently was charged with sexual battery related to an incident in Orleans Parish Justice Center.
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