Magen (aka Megan) Hall, the woman accused of the 2019 killing of Pottsville businessman Patrick Murphy in New Orleans entered a guilty plea on lesser charges on Monday.
According to court records from Orleans Parish, Hall entered a guilty plea on a charge of manslaughter – reduced from second-degree murder – in Murphy’s death.
Hall’s trial was set to begin on July 25, following more than 3 years of delays in the case. She spent that time in Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans awaiting trial.
Hall Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter for Death of Pottsville Businessman
During her time behind bars, Hall appeared in a Netflix series, Jailbirds. On the show, she provided little detail on the events that led to that fateful night at the Empress Hotel in New Orleans in February 2019, right around the time of Mardi Gras.
Hall said she was in New Orleans with friends. Meanwhile, Murphy was allegedly in New Orleans with his wife.
Surveillance footage at the Empress Hotel, in New Orleans’ Treme neighborhood, shows Hall and Murphy entering the hotel together but Hall – who’d been charged with solicitation in the past – leaving alone several hours later.
Murphy’s body was found the next morning in the room the two allegedly rented – under Hall’s name – the previous night. Police say Murphy was stabbed several times, which caused his death.
Scheduling conflicts initially delayed the start of the would-be trial. Hall was facing a life sentence on a second-degree murder charge for Murphy’s death.
While in prison, hurricanes and COVID, of course, delayed and closed courts in Louisiana for extended periods of time.
Then, just before the trial appeared to be imminent, Hall enters the plea she did on Monday.
Sentence: 25 Years
In addition to agreeing to a guilty plea on a lesser manslaughter charge, Hall is pleading guilty to the armed robbery and obstruction charges.
Hall was sentenced to 25 years on the charges, with them running concurrently. All but 10 years of the sentence have been suspended. And Hall’s been in prison for more than 3 years already.
While in prison, Hall’s also been charged with an additional crime of sexual battery for an incident behind bars. She is due back in court on July 29 for a hearing on that matter.
Developing story …
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...