The person who started a petition to keep accused murderer Oral “Nick” Hillary behind bars has suspended it while a hearing is conducted today.

Lindsay Manchester said she also wanted “to get the word out about how many supporters there are for keeping Hillary behind bars.”

The online petition, addressed to St. Lawrence County Court Judge Jerome Richards, simply says “Keep Oral Nicholas ‘Nick’ Hillary Behind Bars!” had gathered 1,492 signatures. It opposes freeing Hillary on bail.

There is a hearing in county court at 1 p.m. today.

Hillary is accused of the strangling death of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips of Potsdam in October, 2011. He was identified as a person who was interviewed by police early in the investigation, so speculation centered on him as a suspect.

Hillary was arrested May 15 after a grand jury returned an indictment against him, two and a half years after the murder.

With nearly 1,500 signatures, Manchester is “beyond proud of our community. We have pulled together and shown support for an amazing little boy who deserves justice.

“This monster does not deserve to walk the streets with the chance to disappear,” Manchester said in an email.

Hillary is to appear before Judge Richards this afternoon for a hearing.

There is another petition taking the opposite position. Its proposition is also addressed to Judge Richards, and is similarly simple: “Release Oral ‘Nick’ Hillary from Jail,” it says.

That petition has more than 250 signatures on it. The originator of that petition is identified as “Truth Seeker, New York, NY.”