State of Idaho v. Robert Dean Hall

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State of Idaho v. Robert Dean Hall is a 2011 case in Meridian, Idaho, where Robert Hall shot and killed Emmett Corrigan, a local attorney. Hall said he acted in self-defense after a confrontation with Corrigan. A jury disagreed and found him guilty of second-degree murder and using a firearm in the crime. He was sentenced in 2012 to 30 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after about 17.5 years.

The case started as a love triangle involving Rob Hall, his wife Kandi Hall, and Corrigan. Corrigan had hired Kandi as a paralegal in 2010, and the two began an affair. After tensions rose, Corrigan and Kandi discussed divorce on March 11, 2011. Following an argument at their Meridian home, Kandi went to Walgreens, where she met Corrigan and got into his car. Corrigan allegedly threatened Rob over the affair, and the shooting occurred in the Walgreens parking lot. Surveillance shows Rob arriving and pacing; Kandi testified to a heated confrontation between the two men, and she heard several gunshots after trying to intervene. Corrigan was shot twice and died at the scene; Rob Hall had a minor head wound and said he could not remember what happened.

The trial lasted over two weeks. Hall’s defense argued self-defense and noted his amnesia prevented a clear memory of events. Prosecutors contended that Hall was prepared and had driven to the scene to confront Corrigan. In 2012, the jury found Hall guilty of second-degree murder and firearm use. He received a 30-year sentence with parole eligibility after 17.5 years.

Hall appealed, arguing the jury was not properly educated on self-defense under Idaho law, which allows a homicide to be justifiable if great bodily injury is avoided. He also highlighted certain Facebook posts by Corrigan as relevant. The court ruled that the jury had proper self-defense instructions and that the posts were not enough to overturn the verdict. In 2016, the Idaho Supreme Court upheld the conviction.

The case drew media attention because of the local attorney and the love-triangle dynamic, and it was featured on true crime programs such as Investigation Discovery and Dateline NBC.