Latest news with #KevinMurray
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Shocking downfall of cop once hailed as pillar of community who cost small California town millions
The criminal actions of a California cop has cost a small-town millions after a shocking series of events involving sex assaults, burglary and meth. Former Sergeant Kevin Murray disgraced the Ukiah Police Department in Mendocino County following a slew of disturbing charges that ended in a light sentence costing the town a $3million settlement. The department's budget for fiscal year 2025 is just over $10million, meaning Murray cost the city nearly a third of its annual police funding. After multiple felony sexual assault charges, Murray was sentenced to just two years probation and 250 hours of community service. The former cop took a plea deal that dismissed the charges, and allowed him to dodge a public trial. Murray was also not required to become a registered sex offender, but simply to provide a DNA sample to the state and participate in a three-year Sex Offenders and Families in Effective Recovery program for at least one year. His arrest followed allegations ranging from breaking into a woman's hotel room for sex, storing methamphetamine in his department-issued locker, to brandishing his service weapon while sexually assaulting a woman. Murray's first serious case began in 2018 when he allegedly forced his way into the home of a disabled Gulf War veteran without a warrant and beat him unconscious. The city of Ukiah paid the veteran $1.05million to settle the claims, SF Gate reported. In January 2021, Murray faced another set of charges including burglary, meth possession and sexual battery, following a night at the Super 8 Motel in Ukiah. In court documents obtained by the outlet, Murray allegedly turned off his body camera, drove the victim's car with her inside and asked her to kiss him on the neck. He allegedly went into her room, uninvited, and took her key card announcing he would return after his shift. Murray then allegedly texted her asking if they could 'hook up tonight' and asked her for 'good pics' to know if 'the good[s] are worth coming back for'. The woman claimed she had never given Murray her phone number, and authorities discovered he used a spoofed caller ID to hide his identity. She became so terrified that she barricaded the door with a table. The woman received a $250,000 civil settlement from the city. One month later, he faced another criminal charge for an alleged 2014 off-duty rape. He was initially charged with forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, and an allegation of sexual assault armed with an assault weapon was later added. In the complaint filed by Johnson in December 2022 against Murray and the city of Ukiah, Murray was accused of being armed with a knife and a handgun. The court ruled that the city wasn't liable, but Murray failed to respond to the civil suit and was served with a $1million default judgement, SF Gate reported. In 2021, he was served another suit from a former Ukiah officer accusing him of sexual assault during a 2013 training trip. The female officer said the police department retaliated when she spoke up, isolating her and cutting pay. In January 2025, the city paid a $1.75million settlement. The police department had previously sang Murray's praises. On April 8, 2020, the department posted on its Facebook page:' Join us as we celebrate Officer Kevin Murray's promotion to Sergeant! 'Sergeant Murray joined the City of Ukiah Police Department in December 2008. Over the course of his law enforcement career, Sergeant Murray has worked several special assignments including Field Training Officer and K9 handler with his partner Thor. 'Sergeant Murray is also a veteran who served for the U.S. Army. Over the course of his six year military career, Sergeant Murray was deployed once to Afghanistan, twice to Iraq & was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant. 'Before today's promotion, Sergeant Murray has been supervising his shift as a watch commander for the past 6 1/2 months due to staffing shortages. 'Sergeant Murray's work ethic and dedication to serve our community is commendable & we're thrilled to announce his promotion.' It was Murray's light sentencing that shocked the city and had many questioning the justice system. Trent James, who served as a deputy for the Mendocino Sheriff's Office and a canine officer with the Willits Police Department, said in a letter to the Mendocino Voice that dirty cops get 'extreme leeway and special treatment'. 'Murray's sentencing sends a very clear message to not only the citizens of Mendocino County, but also current law enforcement, that this type of behavior is okay,' James wrote. 'With this "slap on the wrist" punishment for extremely egregious crimes there is very little, if any, deterrence from others committing the same crimes.' The Sonoma County Probation Department reviewed Murray's case before he was served his sentence, and recommended two years probation with a suspended prison term and a one-year jail sentence. Sonoma County Probation Officer Spencer Misetich described Murray's actions as 'abhorrent', slamming his behavior as exhibiting 'criminal sophistication'. However, because 'no factors in aggravation were found true or admitted by the defendant as part of his plea agreement in this matter... the court is essentially limited to imposing the middle term of imprisonment, which is what we would recommend'. '...We do feel the defendant's abhorrent actions in this matter deserves further jail time in addition to the time he has already served,' the report said, SF Gate reported. Murray was handed the two year probation sentence with no additional jail time. His light sentencing and 'abhorrent' actions led to severe mistrust within the police department, as police Chief Thomas Corning was sworn in just one month ago. Corning is the third to take the position since Murray's misconduct. Noble Waidelich took the position nine months after Murray was charged, but was forced out after allegedly coercing a woman into sex while on duty in uniform. As Corning assumes the position, the told the outlet: 'The policy used to state that guys were, you know, basically recommended to turn on their body cams during citizen contacts. 'We changed it to where they are mandated on every citizen contact to turn on the camera.' But Corning is aware of the stain that Murray left on the Ukiah Police Department's reputation. 'You just constantly keep hearing about this guy,' he said. 'It can weigh on you.' 'When you care about a department this much, you know how much good we have - and how much good we do,' he continued. Corning is determined to prove that the previous scandals are not a testament to their current workforce. 'We've really made a very strong effort to hold people accountable, to try to be transparent with the community,' he said, but recognized that 'all it takes is one or two guys to ruin the reputation with the community'.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Labor coalition shatters threshold to qualify for referendum in effort to repeal union bill
Kevin Murray, president of the Utah State Fraternal Order of Police, speaks to reporters about efforts to gather signatures to overturn HB267 outside of the Salt Lake County Government Building on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch) A coalition of labor unions submitted 320,000 signatures in support of a referendum to overturn a controversial union bill on Wednesday. If their numbers are right, it's the most signatures ever gathered for a referendum in Utah. It's the latest in a monthslong saga related to HB267, a controversial law passed this legislative session that prohibits public unions from collective bargaining. Now, a group of 20 unions called the Protect Utah Workers coalition is one step closer to handing the issue over to voters through a ballot referendum, where citizens can vote on new laws, or repeal existing ones, during elections. Forcing a referendum in Utah is no walk in the park. Per state code, a group has 30 days to gather signatures from 8% of Utah voters, including 8% of the voters in at least 15 of the state's 29 Senate districts. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That 8% figure roughly equates to 141,000 signatures. The announcement of 320,000 signatures Wednesday shatters that threshold, making the effort to overturn HB267 one of the most successful in state history. 'We are on track to become not only the most successful citizen-led referendum in Utah history, but one of the most successful in our nation's history,' said John Arthur, a sixth grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School in Salt Lake City. 'We didn't just meet our goal, we doubled it.' Arthur spoke on Wednesday during a media event outside the Salt Lake County Government building, after the coalition turned over boxes containing thousands of signature packets to County Clerk Lannie Chapman's office. 'It's certainly the biggest referendum effort I've ever seen,' Chapman said after the media event. For reference, a successful tax reform referendum in 2020 gathered about 155,000 signatures. Chapman's team now has 21 days to verify the packets and confirm the signatures come from registered voters who live in Salt Lake County — the same goes for county clerks around the state. Once verified, the voter's name will be made publicly available, opening a 45-day window where the voter can choose to rescind their support for the referendum, if they choose. When the county clerks are done, the lieutenant governor's office will then review the process. Assuming the coalition has complied with state code and gathered enough valid signatures, ballot language will be crafted for the 2026 General Election. It's likely some of the signatures will be deemed invalid — some people may have signed twice, aren't registered to vote, gave an incorrect address, or have illegible handwriting. Plus, groups like the Utah chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative policy and advocacy organization, have launched their own campaign in support of HB267. Called 'Decline to Sign,' the group will continue to advocate against the referendum during the 45-day window where voters can retract their signatures. But with a cushion of almost 180,000 signatures, the coalition is feeling confident the fate of HB267 will be left to voters. 'Politicians came after public workers and the public got to work,' said Arthur. 'Now the people of Utah will get to decide what kind of state we're going to be.' Signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in February, HB267 prevents public unions from collective bargaining, the process where unions meet with employers to negotiate a contract or terms of employment. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025. Come July, a teachers union will no longer be allowed to negotiate an employment contract with a school district. The same goes for firefighters, police officers, municipal workers and other public employees. Lawmakers say the bill will protect taxpayer dollars while giving all public employees a voice, not just union members. If a teachers union only represents one third of the employees in a school district, it shouldn't be able to negotiate employment contracts on behalf of everyone, said the bill sponsors, Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, and Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy. Currently, just Salt Lake City's police and fire departments, and a handful of the state's school districts, have unions that engage in collective bargaining. 'More than 99% of all the (public) unions that currently exist today do not do collective bargaining,' said Cullimore earlier this year. 'All the services that they provide their members, the services they provide employees, all the education and training that they do, will still be available.' But labor groups and members of the public were staunchly opposed to the bill, which narrowly passed out of the Legislature. That opposition morphed into the Protect Utah Workers coalition — among them are the Utah State Fraternal Order of Police, the Utah Education Association, Professional Firefighters of Utah, Teamsters Local 222, the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Association, United Mine Workers and more. 'To the sponsors and supporters of HB267, you are not representing the best interest of public employees or your constituents,' said Kevin Murray, president of the Utah State Fraternal Order of Police. 'The groundswell of support we've seen during this signature gathering event makes one thing clear— this community stands united, and we will be heard.' Since the effort began on March 15, roughly 5,000 union members and volunteers have hit the streets, gathering signatures at coffee shops, grocery stores, museums, college campuses, congressional town halls, bus stops, tattoo parlors, TRAX stations, sporting events and protests. Over 30 days, they collected nearly 10,600 signatures each day. 'This is what solidarity looks like, a coalition of 19 labor unions came together: firefighters, police officers, educators, nurses, miners, food workers, all in support of this. We knocked doors, hosted events, braved bad weather just to spread the word. And we could not have done it without everyone who stepped up,' said Donnavan Minutes, a firefighter for Salt Lake City. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fraternal Order of Police joins effort to undo HB267
A coalition working to put a referendum on the ballot to undo the Legislature's bill to strip public unions of collective bargaining rights says it has already collected nearly 130,000 signatures — and just received backing from the state's largest association of police officers. "We respect the legislative process. ... We believe in the checks and balances of that process and preserving the rights of our citizens," Utah Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Murray told reporters from the south steps of the Capitol Friday. "(HB267) has stripped the voice of our heroes to advocate for their needs. Without a voice, we are unable to advocate for safe working conditions, competitive wage and benefits to attract qualified candidates to protect our communities." The Fraternal Order of Police and Professional Firefighters of Utah joined with an existing coalition of labor groups — including the Utah Education Association — in the push to secure the approximately 141,000 signatures necessary to qualify the referendum for the ballot. Although many public unions don't collectively bargain with employers on behalf of their members, Salt Lake firefighter Harrison Long said the union's bargaining has made residents of the capital city safer. "The process of collective bargaining has improved my life, that of my daughters and our safety on the job," he said. "In Salt Lake City, we negotiated for safe staffing levels. That means that if you have an emergency in Salt Lake City, four highly-trained firefighters are going to show up on your worst day to help you. ... Unfortunately, there's a lot of departments out there that don't have the benefit of collective bargaining and are running fire engines, fire trucks, with two, maybe three people on it. That makes our job that much harder and our response that much less effective." Referendums allow voters to overturn laws passed by the Utah Legislature, but organizers must clear the high bar of collecting signatures from 8% of active voters in the state, including at least 8% in at least 15 of the state's 29 Senate districts. The Protect Utah Workers group has 30 days from launch — or until April 14 — to turn in the signatures. Jessica Bruner, the director of the Utah Public Employees Association, announced the nearly 130,000 signatures collected so far but urged volunteers to continue efforts in hopes of doubling that number ahead of the deadline. "We must keep this momentum going. We just let the voters decide what is best for Utah," she said. "In my own association, we have overwhelming support from every corner of the state, with our members asking, 'How do we get more involved?'" HB267, which was signed into law by Gov. Spencer Cox in February, was the most discussed bill early on in the legislative session, as lawmakers floated a compromise bill before eventually passing the original proposal that prohibits collective bargaining. Top lawmakers said they respect the referendum process and encouraged voters to "thoroughly research the issue at hand to make informed decisions." Even if the referendum qualifies for the 2026 ballot, it still requires approval from the majority of voters. The chief architects of HB267, Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, and Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, received plaudits for their work on the bill from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative nonprofit that is frequently involved in crafting model legislation at the state level. The organization agreed with sponsors in arguing that public sector labor unions increase costs for taxpayers.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania man sentenced to 20 years for producing child porn
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A Montgomery County man has been sentenced after he used Omegle to upload, share and film child pornography. Kevin Murray, 30, of Oreland was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick. Court documents showed that in 2020 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was contacted by an Omegle moderator about child pornography (CP) being uploaded. PSP: Florida man wanted for raping a child in Jefferson County Murray used the site to upload and share videos of CP. Police obtained a search warrant for Murray's residence and during a search he admitted to officers that he had CP. According to United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, Murray confessed to using the site to also solicit sexual acts from minors and filming the encounters with them. They noted that between 2019 and 2020 Murray obtained 361 images and 93 videos of CP. 'Murray preyed on children, grooming them for his own deviant purposes,' U.S. Attorney Romero said. 'He exposed these young girls to child pornography to normalize sexual behavior in their minds, convinced them to engage in explicit acts on camera, then saved the material for his repeated consumption. My office and our partners are working every day to prosecute predators like this, get justice for their victims, and keep all children safe from similar harm.' This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
