Cynthia Louise Wilder, 30, who is serving a sentence of life without parole for helping her husband plan the 2015 stabbing murder of his ex-wife, is seeking a new trial.

Wilder claimed at a hearing on Wednesday that she should be allowed to withdraw her guilty plea because both of her public defenders in the case, Patrick Waters and David Ogren, had provided inadequate assistance of counsel.

Both Waters and Ogren testified at the hearing on Wednesday that they did meet with Wilder, talked with her on the phone and met with her at the jail to review the evidence the state had against her and discussed her options with her. Both Waters and Ogren testified that the state had such a strong case against Wilder that she likely would have been found guilty if the case went to trial.

Wilder’s husband, Richie Edwin Wilder Jr., stabbed his ex-wife, Angila Wilder, to death at her Minot residence on Nov. 1, 2015. He was convicted at trial and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Cynthia Wilder later confessed her role in planning the murder to an old friend who had approached Minot police about concerning statements she had made to him and agreed to meet with her and wear a wire. In the recorded conversation, Cynthia Wilder admitted to staking out Angila Wilder’s home to see what time people came and left from the residence and to helping her husband clean up blood evidence when he came home after committing the murder.

Richie Wilder Jr. and Angila Wilder had argued over custody of their children and Richie Wilder Jr. had also committed domestic violence against Angila Wilder during their relationship. Both her defense attorneys believed that Richie Wilder Jr. had manipulated his second wife, Cynthia Wilder, an elementary school teacher who had no prior criminal record, into helping him plan the murder.

Cynthia Wilder later had claimed that she had exaggerated to impress the old friend, whom she was interested in romantically.

“I said a lot of things to a lot of people,” she testified during the hearing on Wednesday. “That doesn’t mean they’re true.”

Wilder had complained that Waters didn’t notify her that he had left the public defenders office and wouldn’t be representing her at her sentencing hearing. Waters testified Wednesday that he had been fired from the public defenders office and after that point the Wilder case “became no longer my problem.” He backtracked after making that comment, said the comment was insensitive and rephrased it to say contacting her “was no longer my job.” Waters said he had a philosophical difference of opinion with the public defenders office and he had been frustrated by a lack of resources. He also testified Wednesday that he had not hired a private investigator to investigate Wilder’s case or interview witnesses, though he had tried several times, because he wasn’t able to find a private investigator in Ward County at the time. Aside from that, the confidential informant lived out of state and a private investigator might not have been able to find much out.

Ward County State’s Attorney Roza Larson argued that Wilder was well informed when she entered an Alford plea, meaning she maintained her innocence but recognized that there was enough evidence to find her guilty at trial. During the hearing, Larson played back a portion of the recording in which Wilder confesses to her part in the crime.

To be granted a new trial, Wilder must prove that not doing so would be a “manifest injustice” and her defense attorney did not represent her adequately.

Judge Stacy Louser told both Larson and Grant Walker, who is representing Wilder in her appeal, to submit written arguments in the case and she will make a decision later.