A Vandalia man was found not guilty of attempted murder and guilty of one count of aggravated domestic battery following a bench trial on Tuesday in Fayette County Court. 50-year old Gregory Hill was found not guilty by Judge Kevin Parker of one count of attempted murder, not guilty of one count of aggravated domestic battery and guilty of a second count of aggravated domestic battery. During the trial, States Attorney Josh Morrison entered into evidence the recordings of the two calls made to 911 in the overnight hours of August 19, 2017 of a domestic issue between Hill and his wife Heather with the first coming from Coe Hill who informed the dispatcher of a fight between his parents and the second call from Isabella Hill who told the dispatcher she believed her mother was paralyzed before Gregory Hill got on the phone and stated his daughter and/or wife were “overreacting” as far as the extent of the situation. Coe Hill was called to the stand and testified to seeing his father kick his mother in the upper back area after she had open handed hit Gregory Hill as he lay on the couch.
The transcript of a deposition taken of the victim Heather Hill was then read by Morrison, defense attorney Thomas Lacy and Victim Witness Coordinator Kira Palmer. During the deposition, Heather Hill testified that she had hit Hill and fled from him before dropping to the floor after which Gregory Hill then struck her multiple times in the neck area by either kneeing or kicking her as she lay face down in a prone position. Heather Hill stated on the third striking, she heard/felt a crack in her neck and lost feeling on the right side of her body and her legs. The transcript was entered into evidence and Dr. Christopher Graves, an orthopedic spinal surgeon who performed multiple surgeries on Heather Hill was called to the stand. Graves was on call for St. John’s Hospital in Springfield when he was called on after Hill was transferred from Fayette County Hospital, Graves described his steps in caring for Hill. He described the injury he found which was a fracture and dislocation of the C5, C6 vertebrae and transection of the spinal chord and performed a bulbocavernosus reflex test to gauge spinal shock. After performing spinal traction, Hill was taken to surgery for the first procedure to which Dr. Graves testified that upon making his incision to the back of Hill’s neck that the muscle, tendons, ligaments, etc. had essentially been completely torn from the bone and skin. Dr. Graves stated the immense extent of the damage was the worst he had seen in any of his cases and would have to have been the result of great trauma. Graves outline furthers surgery and procedures performed that same day in which he entered through the front of Hill’s neck and placed hardware to fix the spine and confirmed that Hill had suffered permanent paralysis from the chest down with some feeling in her arms but none in her hands.
After the state rested its case, the defense called Brittney Hill, Gregory Hill’s niece, to the stand at which time she was questioned as far as a conversation she had with Heather Hill during a visit to the nursing home where Hill now resides and whether or not Heather Hill believed Gregory Hill meant to hurt her. Defense attorney Lacy also called to the stand private investigator Kevin McClain who testified as to the house where the incident happened and a slight 1.5 to 2 inch rise in the threshold from the kitchen to the bedroom which Lacy insinuated could have caused Hill to fall and cause the injury when Hill dropped to the floor during the fight.
Following the defense resting its case and deliberating during a 10 minute recess, Judge Parker issued his ruling. Judge Parker stated despite the tragic situation and outcome, he could not find the “nexus” to get to attempted murder in the case, finding Gregory Hill not guilty on the one count of attempted murder. Parker also stated he was finding Gregory Hill not guilty on Count 2 in the matter, the first count of aggravated domestic battery but was finding Hill guilty of the Count 3 charged of aggravated domestic battery. The count that Hill has been found guilty of is a Class 2 felony that could carry a sentence of 3-7 years in the Department of Corrections. A sentencing hearing has been set for August 5 at 1pm. Hill’s bond has been revoked and Hill is remanded until sentencing.
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