On Dec. 20, a Baton Rouge woman was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of poisoning and killing her boyfriend in 2015.
Meshell Hale, 54, was found guilty on Dec. 16. 2022 of second-degree murder, even though defense attorneys claimed there was insufficient evidence.
In 2015, Damian Skipper died after consuming barium acetate, a poison that Hale bought online. Investigators also believed that Hale was behind the death of her husband, Arthur Noflin, with the same substance.
Noflin’s body was found burnt to the point that was unrecognizable him, and medical examiners could never determine the cause of his death. No one was ever charged because coroners couldn’t rule it a homicide.
Hale was set to be released on a $300,000 bond, pending an appeal, but the district attorney’s office was granted a stay that will keep her in prison.
Hale’s next court date is set for Feb. 23, 2023.
