A Tennessee woman has pleaded guilty in connection with the 2019 stabbing death of 62-year-old jeweler Patrick Murphy in a New Orleans hotel room.
Megan Hall, 28, admitted to manslaughter and other charges, the Reading Eagle reports. She now awaits sentencing.
The plea was entered in New Orleans Criminal Court. The other charges to which she admitted were armed robbery and obstruction of justice.
The charges were part of a plea agreement that allowed Hall to avoid a count of second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence in Louisiana, according to the Eagle.
Murphy was the owner of Murphy Jewelers, which has three stores in eastern Pennsylvania.
New Orleans police homicide detective Patrick Guidry testified at a preliminary hearing in March 2019 that Murphy had been killed by three stab wounds — one to his neck and two to his abdomen.
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Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
