Two Jacksonville women will have their cases tried separately in Morgan County Court. Circuit Judge John M Madonia granted Defense Attorney Tom Piper’s motion to sever 64 year old Joyce Gill’s case from her daugther’s case, 39 year old Jewell Maul in court via teleconference yesterday.
The women are accused of taking over $39,000 from the bank accounts of then 88 year old Norma Notson, the aunt of Gill’s husband Robert Gill. Robert Gill pleaded guilty to murder and arson in connection with the 2015 shooting death of Andrew Maul of Jacksonville, Jewell Maul’s ex-husband.
A motion to dismiss the case had been denied by Judge Madonia in March based on an alleged immunity plea deal by Robert Gill in November 2017. Up until now, the two women’s cases had been heard jointly.
According to the Journal-Courier, Piper asked the cases to be severed because of evidentiary issues that would be “antagonistic…to the defense of Maul in that Gill’s defense would assert diminished capacity due to advanced age, mental health concerns, and psychotropic medications which were administered.” Piper also said Gill acted under substantial domestic abuse by Robert Gill under whose directions and orders she acted.
Piper also asked for a continuance in the case that may allude to a possible plea agreement in the future. Special Appellate Prosecutor Matthew Goetten had no objections to the motions. Judge Madonia has set the next hearing for status at 10:30AM on September 11th in person at the Morgan County Courthouse.