A woman convicted on accessory charges in the 2010 murder of a South Carolina mayor has died in prison.
Julia Phillips, 72, passed away Wednesday of natural causes, according to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts. Phillips was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 in connection with the 2010 death of her longtime boyfriend and former York, South Carolina mayor Melvin Roberts.
Phillips told police she and Roberts had been attacked in the driveway of their home. But prosecutors alleged Phillips concocted a scheme to kill Roberts, 79, in an attempt to secure her financial future, as their relationship was deteriorating.
Despite her claims that she, too, was a victim of whomever killed Roberts, Phillips was convicted as an accessory to murder in September 2013.
The murder case remains open and under investigation, as no one has ever been charged or arrested for the actual killing of Roberts.
You can watch Dateline's original report on the case below.
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