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A federal appeals court has refused to hear the case of a Pike County woman serving a life sentence for the 1997 killing of the Lillelid family.

Vidar and Delfina Lillelid and their two young children were travelling back to Knoxville when they were abducted from a rest area. Six teenagers, including Karen Howell, were later convicted of killing the couple and their 6-year-old daughter. The couple's two-year old-son was shot, but survived.

Howell argued that she received ineffective counsel. A panel of three judges turned down the request to rehear the case.