ATLANTA, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A 2002 murder conviction against a man who says he killed another man to stop unwanted sexual advances will stand, a Georgia court ruled Monday.
The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction of Joseph Hall Jr., who said he killed travel agent David Cook after Cook tried to force him to have sex at his Atlanta condo in April 2002, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The newspaper said Cook was stabbed more than 20 times. Hall, then 18, testified that the alleged advances put him into a trance brought on by childhood memories of watching his father stab his mother to death.
In making the ruling, the high court reportedly noted that testimony indicated Hall hogtied Cook with a telephone cord and a shirt and had placed a pillow case over his head.
Prosecutors said Hall and co-defendant Edward McCloud had intended to rob the victim.
