Magen Hall is a Tennessee woman who pleaded guilty in July 2022 to manslaughter, armed robbery, and obstruction of justice in the 2019 stabbing death of Patrick J. Murphy, a Pennsylvania jeweler killed in a New Orleans hotel room. She was originally charged with second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence in Louisiana, but a plea agreement reduced the lead count and produced a 25-year sentence with all but 10 years suspended.1National Jeweler. Woman Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Death of PA Jeweler
What Happened at the Empress Hotel
Patrick Murphy, 62, was vacationing in New Orleans with his wife in late February 2019, ahead of Mardi Gras. Hall, then 25 and from Memphis, later said she had traveled to the city with two friends to party.
Surveillance video from the Empress Hotel in the Treme neighborhood showed Murphy and Hall arriving together at about 2:10 a.m. on February 28, 2019.2The Morning Call. Trial for Megan Hall in Death of Jeweler Patrick Murphy Has New Date Around 3:30 a.m., guests in the next room reported hearing a loud argument and then sounds of a struggle lasting about two minutes.3PennLive. Woman Charged With Murder in PA Jeweler’s Death in New Orleans Hotel Footage captured Hall leaving alone at 3:42 a.m. No one else was seen entering or leaving before a housekeeper found Murphy’s body at 11:41 a.m. on March 1 in a room registered to Hall.4Reading Eagle. Killed Pottsville Jeweler Sentence
Murphy had been stabbed three times, once in the neck and twice in the abdomen.5Jewelers’ Security Alliance. Suspect Indicted for Murder of Jeweler, New Orleans, LA Police said Hall left the hotel with some of his possessions, which became the basis for the armed robbery count.
Arrest and Indictment
Hall had prior prostitution convictions in Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee, with arrests in New Orleans, Houston, and Nashville.6The Morning Call. Megan Hall Featured on Netflix Show The New Orleans Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for second-degree murder, and Hall surrendered with her attorney on March 3, 2019.7Jewelers’ Security Alliance. Jewelry Store Owner Patrick Murphy Killed, Suspect Identified Her bond was set at $750,000.
On June 13, 2019, an Orleans Parish grand jury indicted her on three charges: second-degree murder, armed robbery, and obstruction of justice in a homicide investigation.5Jewelers’ Security Alliance. Suspect Indicted for Murder of Jeweler, New Orleans, LA A conviction on the murder count alone would have meant mandatory life; the armed robbery and obstruction charges carried maximum penalties of 99 years and 40 years.8National Jeweler. Suspect Indicted for Murder of PA Jeweler in New Orleans The trial was pushed back repeatedly, first by the Louisiana Supreme Court’s moratorium on jury trials during the COVID-19 pandemic and then by disruptions from Hurricane Ida.9PhillyVoice. Magen Hall Jailbirds New Orleans Netflix Patrick Murphy
The Plea Deal and Sentence
In July 2022, Hall accepted a plea agreement in New Orleans Criminal Court. The second-degree murder charge was reduced to manslaughter, and she pleaded guilty to all three counts.1National Jeweler. Woman Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Death of PA Jeweler The reduction mattered under Louisiana law, where second-degree murder (a killing during a felony) requires a life sentence and manslaughter allows a shorter term.4Reading Eagle. Killed Pottsville Jeweler Sentence
Hall received 25 years on each charge, to run concurrently, with 15 years suspended. That left 10 years of active prison time, and she was credited with roughly three years already served since her March 2019 arrest. A judge can reimpose the suspended portion depending on her conduct in custody.10The Morning Call. Megan Hall Pleads Guilty in Death of Jeweler Patrick Murphy
The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office said it worked closely with the Murphy family on the resolution. Prosecutors said the family had asked them to negotiate a deal to avoid the “emotional and mental anguish” and “trauma of reliving their loss in a trial.”4Reading Eagle. Killed Pottsville Jeweler Sentence
Appearance on Jailbirds: New Orleans
While awaiting trial at the Orleans Justice Center, Hall was featured in the Netflix documentary series Jailbirds: New Orleans, which premiered September 24, 2021. She appeared under the name “Magen” and referred to her pending murder charge without naming Murphy.11Times News Online. Woman Charged in Jeweler’s Killing Seen in Netflix Series “I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t scared,” she said of the possibility of a life sentence. “I just got to keep pushing and being strong.”
Robert Carl, a friend of the Murphy family, called the show’s portrayal of Hall “disturbing” and questioned the ethics of giving a platform to a murder defendant.9PhillyVoice. Magen Hall Jailbirds New Orleans Netflix Patrick Murphy
Jail Sexual Battery Charge, Later Dropped
On January 31, 2022, Hall and two other inmates at the Orleans Justice Center were accused of sexually assaulting a fellow inmate. Investigators said Hall and Michelle Augustine stripped and held down the victim while a third inmate, Byrielle Hebert, assaulted her. All three were charged with sexual battery.12NOLA.com. Jailed Suspects in Three New Orleans Killings Now Accused of Sexually Assaulting Inmate Hall’s attorney, John Fuller, called the allegations “100 percent false, motivated by something other than the truth.”
The sexual battery charge against Hall was dropped on January 16, 2023. Court records did not state a reason for the dismissal.13Republican Herald. Sexual Battery Charge Against Killer of Pottsville Jeweler Dropped