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Woman Convicted In Lululemon Murder Wants A New Trial

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- It was one of the most violent and notorious crimes in the state of Maryland. Now, there's outrage as the woman who viciously murdered her co-worker inside a Montgomery County Lululemon store vies to get out of jail. Brittany Norwood's lawyers have filed an appeal due to a legal technicality.

Meghan McCorkell has more from the victim's family.

Brittany Norwood is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, but her lawyers say she deserves a new trial.

It took jurors just one hour to convict Brittany Norwood of murdering 30-year-old Jayna Murray. Investigators say Norwood used six different weapons to stab, cut, beat and choke Murray to death inside the Bethesda Lululemon store where they worked in 2011.

Now Norwood's attorneys are calling for a new trial, a move Murray's brother says is unthinkable.

"The impact on my family would be devastating," said Hugh Murray.

Norwood initially told police two men had robbed and assaulted her and Murray--a story that quickly unraveled.

"Do you know how many times they hit me in my head and cut my stomach and my chest?" Norwood says in a tape of her police interview.

Now her attorneys are arguing those police interviews shouldn't have happened because Murray hadn't been read her Miranda rights.

"She was not in custody. Miranda did not apply," said prosecutor John McCarthy.

Legal experts say the chance of getting a new trial is slim.

"Your chance of winning an appeal in the Court of Special Appeals as a criminal defendant are about one in 10," said legal expert Byron Warnken, www.warnkenlaw.com.

As for Murray's brother, he's now raising his daughter without her aunt.

"We're going to raise her with the same adventurous attitude that Jayna had. We'll teach her about Jayna," he said.

He's hoping his family doesn't have to relive his sister's murder once again.

The Maryland Attorney General's office is due to respond to the appeal by Aug. 4. The case could be in front of the Court of Special Appeals by September.

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