Melanie Billhartz
Summary of Offense:
On October 28, 2002, in El Paso County, Hall strangled Melanie Billhartz, 29, with an electrical cord and left her body in the desert. Prosecutors argued that Hall killed Billhartz to keep her from telling authorities about a meth laboraratory. Chase Hale, a mutual acquaintance of Hall and Billhartz, led police to the body and testified that Hall admitted that he had killed Billhartz. Prosecutors argued that several people said Hall killed Billhartz, including Hall himself through a voluntary statement to police. The defense attorneys argued that Hale was the real killer and that the police carried out a poor investigation. Billhartz was killed while Hall was out on bond on another unrelated murder charge.
Hall was sentenced to death in El Paso County in May 2005.
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