RALEIGH—A Raleigh man serving life in prison for the brutal death of his ex-girlfriend nearly four years ago will fight for a new trial Wednesday.
A three-member panel of the NC Court of Appeals is expected to hear Grant Hayes' case.
In September 2013 Hayes was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Laura Ackerson, who was also the mother of Hayes’ children. Police say he and his then-wife Amanda Hayes cut her body up and dumped it in a Texas creek.
Last year Grant Hayes asked the court to overturn his conviction, saying he did not receive a fair trial. He now claims some of the evidence presented to jurors was irrelevant to the case and unfair—including lyrics of a song he wrote called "Man Killer."
He also says the jury shouldn't have heard from a psychologist who concluded that Grant Hayes wanted to "obliterate" Ackerson.
Grant Hayes has denied killing Ackerson, saying that he helped cover up her death to protect Amanda Hayes, who he claims killed Ackerson during an argument.
At her trial last year, Amanda Hayes told jurors that she only helped cover up the crime because he threatened her. She was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving 13 to 16 years in prison.
The NC Court of Appeals has already said Grant Hayes should not get another trial, saying there were no errors before.