The true story behind the Rosa Hill and Mei Li case on Mother, May I Murder?

Mother, May I Murder? revisits the Rosa Hill and Mei Li case, a custody fight that turned deadly and ended with a grim discovery in a backyard shed. The episode tracks how a call about a domestic assault opened the door to a wider story about family strain, planning, and a fatal outcome.

Police reached a Dublin, California home and found Eric Hill injured upstairs. Two women, Rosa Hill and her mother Mei Li, said they were victims. A search of the property led deputies to the body of 91-year-old Selma Hill in a locked shed. From there, the investigation moved fast and pointed to a plan centered on a custody dispute.

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"Operation Custody" in Mother, May I Murder?

Deputies respond to a domestic assault call at a suburban home as the case begins (Image via Pexels)

Rosa Hill and Eric Hill had split and were in a long, bitter custody process. By late 2008, Eric had sole legal custody and most of the physical custody of their young daughter. According to CBS San Francisco, prosecutors said Rosa and Mei called their scheme “Operation Custody” and gathered weapons and gear in the weeks leading up to January 2009. They also cited searches about poisons and strangling on a home computer.

Court records describe notebooks with observations about the household, printed pages about chemicals, and entries that referred to Eric and his grandmother as “troublemakers.” The state later presented this material as planning evidence tied to the custody goal. ABC7 reported that investigators viewed these items as part of a plan to kidnap the child and to frame Eric.

Investigators review notebooks and search printouts later cited in court (Image via Unsplash)

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What happened on January 7, 2009, in Mother, May I Murder?

The day started quietly. Eric left early with his daughter. By evening, he returned to the house with the child. A struggle followed on the upstairs landing. Eric said he was shocked with a device and hit with a baton. Downstairs, neighbors heard pops and pleas for help and called 911. Deputies arrived at 5:53 pm.

While securing the scene, officers found stun devices, a baton, and other items. A search of the yard turned up a locked shed. Inside, Selma Hill’s body was found in a garbage bin, wrapped in sheets with rope and bags around parts of her body. The autopsy listed asphyxiation due to strangulation, with blunt injuries and signs consistent with a stun device.

Investigators also located backpacks with tools, ammunition, and notes. One vehicle held a crossbow and additional gear. The picture that formed, in law enforcement’s view, matched a prepared effort, not a sudden outburst.

Also read: Mother, May I Murder on ID: What happened to Lanny Horwitz?

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Aftermath and court findings in Mother, May I Murder?

A jury in 2011 convicted Rosa Hill and Mei Li of first-degree murder for Selma’s death and of the premeditated attempted murder of Eric. Sentencing followed that summer. CBS San Francisco reported the judge called it one of the most planned crimes he had seen, citing the cache of weapons and the written materials.

In 2015, the California Court of Appeals later reversed Mei Li’s murder conviction because of a jury instruction error about aiding and abetting timing, while leaving other parts of the judgment intact and sending the case back for further proceedings. The opinion also upheld the view that the evidence supported the attempted murder verdicts for what happened upstairs that evening.

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The case on Mother, May I Murder?

Mother, May I Murder? Season 2, Episode 3, titled Murder in Law, aired on November 4, 2025. The show presents the domestic-assault call, the shed discovery, and the custody motive in a tight narrative.

The Mother, May I Murder? episode can also be streamed on HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Discovery+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Discovery+, YouTube TV, or for free with ads on Investigation Discovery.

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Also read: 5 chilling details about the Diane Staudte case as shown in Mother, May I Murder? season 2

Edited by Preethika Vijayakumar