Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 21 to 22 of 22

Thread: Kevin Lee Murphy - Pennsylvania Death Row

  1. #21
    Administrator Aaron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    New Jersey, unfortunately
    Posts
    4,382
    Man to appeal Loyalhanna triple-murder death sentence

    The lawyer for an Indiana County man sentenced to death for the 2009 murders of his mother, sister and aunt in a northern Westmoreland County auto glass repair shop they owned said he needs to review trial evidence to perfect an appeal.

    Defense attorney Brian Aston filed court documents Thursday asking for access to review the physical evidence and trial exhibits used during the 2013 trial that resulted in Kevin Murphy's conviction on three counts of first-degree murder.

    Murphy, 56, was convicted in the shooting deaths of his mother, Doris Murphy, 69; sister Kris Murphy, 43; and aunt Edith Tietge, 81, at Ferguson Glass in Loyalhanna Township on April 23, 2009. The women worked at the family business, which Kevin Murphy owned.

    Police said Murphy used a .22-caliber revolver to shoot each of them in the head because they disapproved of his romantic relationship with a married woman and didn't want her to live at the family home near Saltsburg.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected Murphy's appeal last year that challenged the evidence and the jury verdict as well as its finding that he should be sentenced to death by lethal injection.

    Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary John Wetzel signed a death warrant for Murphy last November that was immediately stayed to allow for an additional appeal to be filed.

    According to court records, Murphy filed a brief appeal on his own behalf that challenged the performance of his previous lawyers, Robert Bell and Mark Bolkovac, at trial.

    Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio appointed Aston to serve as Murphy's new attorney and in January ordered that he file a more detailed appeal for Murphy within six months. Aston was given a six-month extension this month to file the appeal.

    http://triblive.com/local/westmorela...death-sentence
    Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products.

    "They will hurt you. They will hurt your grandma, these people. The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting." - Former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters

  2. #22
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Defense seeks court’s help to get ballistics evidence in Loyalhanna murder case

    Attorneys for an Indiana County man on death row for murdering three family members sought the court’s help on Friday to get firearm evidence to their ballistics expert.

    Attorney Brian Aston said he needs a court order to get evidence from the clerk of courts, state police and possibly the district attorney shipped to a Texas-based expert.

    “It has to be somebody who is permitted to ship firearms through the mail, which I am not,” Aston said.

    He represents Kevin Murphy, 60, who was sentenced to death by lethal injection for the April 2009 slayings of his mother, Doris Murphy, 69; sister Kris Murphy, 43; and aunt Edith Tietge, 81. Each was shot in the back of the head with a .22-caliber revolver at the family-owned glass repair shop in Loyalhanna.

    Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio allowed the defense in October to use up to $2,500 in taxpayer money to hire the private ballistics expert as part of an attempt for Murphy to win an appeal of his murder convictions.

    Aston and attorney Ken Noga contend ballistics evidence regarding the gun prosecutors said Murphy used was not properly challenged during the 2013 trial. The defense wants the expert to review the weapon, bullet fragments, shell casings and other evidence that prosecutors said proves Murphy committed the murders.

    But locating all of that evidence has proven to be a challenge, Aston said.

    “The state police couldn’t be exactly sure where every piece of evidence was,” he said.

    District Attorney John Peck said he would check in his office for any evidence leftover from the trial. Bilik-DeFazio asked Aston to provide a list of evidence he is seeking and she would sign an order directing state police to handle shipping it, as long as there were no objections from Peck. Murphy appeared by video from state prison.

    Prosecutors at Murphy’s 2013 trial contended the women were killed because they disapproved of Murphy’s romantic relationship with a married woman and didn’t want her to live at the family home near Saltsburg, Indiana County. Police found the gun on the shop’s floor.

    A previous appeal filed by Murphy was rejected by the state Supreme Court. Defense attorneys said they are preparing a new appeal that is expected to claim Murphy was not adequately represented at his trial by his private attorneys.

    Murphy was scheduled for execution in late 2016. That was stayed while he continues with appeals.

    https://triblive.com/local/westmorel...a-murder-case/
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •