TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The man convicted of killing U of A professor Thomas Meixner in 2022 is asking an appeals court to throw out that conviction.
An Arizona appellate court heard oral arguments today in the appeal of Murad Dervish, the man convicted of killing Meixner. After presentations from both sides, the panel of appellate judges took the case under advisement and said it will issue a decision at a later date.
Prosecutors say Dervish shot and killed Meixner inside the Harshbarger Building on the University of Arizona campus, where Meixner served as head of the school’s Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences department. A jury convicted Dervish in 2024 of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary. He is serving a natural life sentence without the possibility of parole at the Lewis Prison in Buckeye.
What was argued today
Dervish’s attorneys focused their appeal on several trial issues, arguing the trial judge was biased and improperly denied a motion to change judges. They also challenged the burglary conviction itself and questioned the reliability or admissibility of a court‑appointed expert used at trial. Other appellate questions listed in court filings include whether references at trial to Dervish’s invocation of his right against self‑incrimination required a mistrial, whether a temporary‑intoxication jury instruction should have been given, and whether jury instructions on a “guilty‑except‑insane” verdict were correct. The defense asked the appellate panel to reverse or remand on those grounds; the state defended the convictions and the trial court’s rulings.
Next steps
The appeals court did not issue a ruling today, instead taking the matter under advisement. A written decision will be issued in the future; the timing for that decision was not announced at the hearing.
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