Defense attorney George Cosenza sits with Barbara Cupp during a hearing Friday. Cupp, who was convicted of second-degree murder back in March in the shooting death of Matthew Ball, is seeking a new trial as a juror had personal connections to people involved in the case that did not come out during the jury selection process. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – The defense attorney for Barbara Cupp is seeking a new trial as he believes a juror who helped deliver the guilty verdict in the murder case knew people close to his client and did not disclose those connections when he was being questioned back in March before the trial began.

Defense attorney George Cosenza made the motion during a hearing Friday before Wood County Circuit Court Judge Robert Waters.

Barbara Cupp, 33, was found guilty March 27 of the March 2025 shooting death of a 37-year-old Matthew Bills with whom she had been in a relationship. Cupp faces 10 to 40 years in prison.

The basis for Cosenza’s request for a new trial is juror Chadwick E. Parsons knowing a lot of the people involved in the case and whether he was friends with them or knew them more personally than he indicated when he was being interviewed as a potential juror at the beginning of the jury selection process, known as voir dire.

Parsons testified Friday that during voir dire he indicated that he knew Cupp, Bills and others involved in the case “from school” as they all went to St. Marys High School in the early 2000s. He was three years ahead of Cupp in school and was also ahead of Bills.

Barbara Cupp was led into court Friday. The defense is seeking a new trial as a juror had connections to people in the case he did not disclose during the jury selection process. Cupp was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Matthew Bills. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

He said he did not know them personally, just knew of them because they were all from a small town.

A number of witnesses were called Friday that indicated Parsons was friends with people involved in the case, hanging out at parties and playing music with them at gatherings. His sister was best friends with one of the witnesses, Alisha Dixon, for a number of years, but Parsons said he knew her from school, but had no personal knowledge of her even though their sisters hung out and had spent the night at each other’s houses at various times, but did not disclose that during voir dire.

“She wasn’t friends with me, she was friends with my sister,” Parsons said adding she spent the night at his family’s house on a number of occasions as his sister’s friend.

Parsons also said he knew Cupp’s older brother and mother, but did not indicate that during jury selection. Parsons admitted he had an intimate “friends with benefits” type of relationship with Cupp’s mother for about a year that occurred years ago after a photo of them together was entered into evidence.

“We were really good friends that hooked up from time to time,” he said. “We were never boyfriend/girlfriend. We were friends and it would happen every once and a while.”

During the jury selection process, he never disclosed that relationship.

Parsons said he did not know Bills personally, but had been at some of the same gatherings. He said he knew Bills’ brother better, but never disclosed that during the jury selection.

Many of the witnesses said they were from a small town, a small high school and everyone knew each other. They also ended up at the same parties where many of the same people regularly socialized.

Cosenza said it is important for potential jurors to be truthful during voir dire.

“It is based on their answers that are given during voir dire that counsel for both sides evaluate that juror,” he said of whether to accept them or not. “We ask about relationships with the defendant, the victim and with witnesses for a specific reason.

“We expect and are entitled to candid answers from a juror. These answers don’t have a time limit on them.”

If jurors are not truthful during that process, it requires a new trial, Cosenza said.

“We have a juror that was clearly not candid with the court or counsel,” he said. “He held back information he had.”

Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure said Parsons did not disclose his connections to certain people in the case. However, Parsons indicated he knew them through school which was how many of the witnesses indicated they knew each other.

Both sides had the chance to ask Parsons to give more detail about how well he knew people and how close those relationships were, Lefebure said adding the defendant had the chance to point things out to her lawyer if there was an issue.

“(Parsons) will know a lot of these people coming from a small town,” Lefebure said. “In order to succeed on a claim a defendant’s constitutional right to an impartial jury was violated, they must affirmatively show prejudiced and that has not been shown.”

The question is if the actions of the juror impacted the trial which he doesn’t think it does and asked the court to deny the motion for a new trial.

Cosenza said if they all had known about Parsons connections to the people involved in the case, both sides would not have picked him as a juror.

Waters said the whole situation could have been avoided as they had two alternates during the five day trial.

“At anytime during the trial, we could have replaced Mr. Parsons if it had come to our attention,” he said.

Waters ordered that Cosenza write up his issues and submit them to the court by July 17 and the prosecution has to respond by July 24. After that, the judge can rule or set the matter for a hearing.

After the hearing, supporters of Bills and supporters of Cupp got into an argument outside of the Shaver Judicial Annex and court personnel had to respond to keep people separated.

Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com