SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah doctor found guilty of drugging his beauty queen wife and leaving her to die in a bathtub is appealing a separate sexual abuse conviction, arguing he couldn't get a fair trial after he was convicted in the high-profile murder case.
Lawyers for Martin MacNeill said Tuesday the murder case was one of the biggest the area had seen in decades and that the sexual abuse trial should have been moved away.
Prosecutors say there's no proof the proceedings were tainted and the conviction should stand.
The Utah Court of Appeals did not immediately rule. MacNeill is also appealing the murder conviction.
MacNeill was convicted in 2014 of sexually abusing his adult daughter.
The Associated Press doesn't normally identify sexual assault victims, but Alexis Somers has agreed to be identified to advocate for other victims.
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