FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
December 12, 2011
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Alabama Attorney General
Suzanne Webb (334) 242-7351
Page 1 of 1
AG ANNOUNCES THAT APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS CONVICTION
OF JASON MURPHY
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange announced today that
the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday, December 9, 2011, upheld the
felony murder conviction of Jason Murphy for the 2003 killing of Elmore County
businessman Ronnie Holman during a brutal robbery and burglary. Murphy was
found guilty by a jury in 2009 in Chilton County Circuit Court following a trial that
lasted more than three weeks. Two previous trials had resulted in mistrials when
the juries did not reach a verdict. The defendant’s brother Jared Murphy
subsequently pleaded guilty to the murder also. The Murphy brothers also are from
Elmore County.
On July 29, 2003, Holman was shot in the head with a high-powered assault
rifle when he went out into his front yard to see why dogs were barking. During the
burglary and robbery, masked intruders went into and vandalized the home,
demanding money from Holman’s widow after they had killed him.
The Attorney General’s Office presented evidence at trial that included
testimony from five individuals to whom Murphy had confessed while he was in
jail. The confessions included information known only to the killer, which was
corroborated by physical evidence from the crime scene.
The successful appeal was handled by Assistant Attorney General John Porter
of the Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division. Those who worked on the
prosecution include Assistant Attorneys General Bill Lisenby and Will Dill, and
former Assistant Attorney General Pamela Casey, and special agents of the Attorney
General’s Investigations Division, as well as the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.
–30 —
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.alabama.gov
