LIAM and MADIGAN MURPHY - 9 and 6 yo - Castle Rock CO

A Castle Rock mother who called 911 Monday
morning to report that she had attempted suicide told a dispatcher her
two children were "already in heaven," according to police.Now
that mother, identified as 41-year-old Kelli Murphy, is facing two
counts of first-degree murder, child abuse and other charges, said
Castle Rock Police Chief Tony Lane.The mother called 911 at 7:48
a.m. Monday to report she had attempted suicide by slashing her wrists,
Lane said. When a dispatcher asked about her children and if they were
home, Murphy said: "They're already in heaven," according to Lane.
Officers responding to the home at 236 Cherry Street then found the
bodies of her two children, a 9-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl.There
were no visible injuries on the children -- Liam and Madigan -- and the
cause of their deaths is being investigated, he said. It's not clear
how long they were dead before they were discovered.Murphy was
treated for lacerations to her wrist at Sky Ridge Medical Center and
released. She was taken into police custody at about 2:30 p.m.Murphy and
her 41-year-old husband, Robert Eric Murphy, filed for divorce Feb. 9 and were
separated, Lane said."The father is not a suspect in the case," Lane said.

Police Called To Home On Welfare Check On Sunday
At Robert Murphy's request, police went to the couple's home
Sunday afternoon to conduct a welfare check. Lane said he did not know
if officers actually checked on the children Sunday.A female neighbor questioned
how police handled the welfare check."If they were here yesterday,
why didn’t they stop this?" the neighbor asked 7NEWS Reporter Russell Haythorn.Liam
and Madigan attended Rock Ridge Elementary School, and crisis
counselors were sent there Monday, said Randy Barber, a spokesman for
the Douglas County School District. He said school officials were
sending a letter about the tragedy home with students Monday.

Neighbor Says Mom Was Nurturing, Sweet
Neighbors on Cherry Street were stunned and distraught. A woman
said Kelli Murphy was very nurturing and sweet with her children.
Other neighbors said the kids were active, involved, and played with other
children in the Founders Village neighborhood. "It's unfathomable. I don't know
understand why this stuff happens," neighbor Richard Parson said.
It's a father-son talk Parson never could have imagined -- explaining
to his son how one of his friends was murdered by his own mother.
"I grabbed my son and I held him, pretty much like a cradle, and let him cry," the father said."It's
a tragedy. It's very sad," said neighbor Terry Wagner. "I have a
9-year-old and a 10-year-old and they know them. It's going to kill my
wife. It's going to be tough.""We knew that there was trouble up there,
that they were going through some problems and stuff," Wagner said.

Mother Obtained Restraining Order, Then Wants To Drop Divorce Proceedings
Kelli Murphy obtained a temporary restraining order against her husband on March 3, divorce records said.She
accused her husband of being abusive to her and the children, allegedly
twice grabbing 6-year-old Madigan by the throat and one time
threatening to "smack that smart mouth right off her face," according to
court documents. Yet, Kelli Murphy acknowledged in court papers that
she had never reported her husband to police.Six days later, the
wife asked a judge to dismiss the restraining order. She wrote her
husband was "getting help (counseling) for his anger issues … and our
children will no longer be in harm's way."She requested a dismissal of the divorce on April 11.
"I do not want to divorce my husband. We filed papers wrongly out of
anger," Kelli Murphy wrote in her dismissal motion. "This needs to stop.
We need counseling, NOT a divorce.""After attending the
parenting class, I know we need to pursue every method we can to save
this marriage, keep our family together before it is too late," Murphy
wrote, referring to a "Co-Parenting After Divorce Seminar" the couple
completed.The couple had filed for bankruptcy in June 2010, and
the divorce and separation compounded their financial hardship,
according to divorce records.In court filings, Kelli Murphy said
her husband had emptied their bank account and put her and the children
"on an 'allowance' of what he sees fit to give us."Robert
Murphy's attorney said the husband was also in a financial bind because
his "wife refuses to get a job to help pay the bills," according to
court records. So, all the husband's discretionary income was going to
pay for his wife's living expenses and $800 a month in spouse and child
support."(The) husband has been living with his mother in a small residence," the attorney wrote.In
a dispute that may have been a flashpoint, Kelli Murphy had urged
delaying a Monday hearing about temporary child support issues."Both
of our kids … have end-of-year parties on May 23 that I had planned on
attending," she wrote, adding that her husband also wanted to attend.But
Robert Murphy objected to the delay, and his attorney said the "wife
refuses to let (her) husband have any parenting time other than the rare
days that she allows.""The situation is dire, and (the) husband
requires temporary orders to get a 50/50 parenting plan. Otherwise, much
more time will pass for (the) husband with only limited contact with
the children," Robert Murphy's attorney wrote.Court records showed
Kelli Murphy got a postponement of the hearing to Wednesday.
et, Liam and Madigan never made it to Monday's year-end school parties.Instead,
Robert Murphy said he received a call Monday morning from Douglas
County sheriff's officials saying that his wife had "killed our two
children."He made the statement in a motion for a protection
order against his wife, saying he feared he was "in imminent danger from
Ms. Kelli Murphy."7NEWS has requested a history of phone calls
requesting police service made from that home, but Castle Rock police
have denied our request, citing the ongoing investigation.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/27991416/detail.html

An initial autopsy Tuesday did not reveal a cause of death for two
Castle Rock children who police believe were killed by their mother,
the Douglas County coroner said.Police found the bodies of
9-year-old Liam Murphy and his 6-year-old sister, Madigan, in their
Cherry Street home Monday morning after their mother, Kelli Murphy,
called 911 to report she had attempted suicide. Police said there were
no visible signs of injury to the bodies.The coroner is awaiting
additional medical tests, including toxicology and tissue analysis,
which may take six weeks, the coroner's office said.
Kelli Murphy Looked Haggard In Court


Kelli Murphy appeared Tuesday morning in Douglas County District
Court where Judge Vincent White told her she was being held on
suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder.Formal charges are expected to be filed by Friday, authorities said. She is being held in jail without bond.
Appearing haggard with disheveled hair, the 41-year-old Murphy wore a gray jail uniform and said nothing during the hearing.Murphy
put her hand to her forehead as she stood next to her attorney at a
podium. She had bandages on her wrists, which police said she cut during
a suicide attempt Monday morning.During the 911 call to report
her suicide attempt, Murphy told a dispatcher her two children were
"already in heaven," according to police.Castle Rock Police Chief Tony Lane said it's not clear how long they were dead before they were discovered.A judge issued a gag order in the case, which included sealing the arrest affidavit and other investigative records.Murphy and her 41-year-old husband, Eric Murphy, filed for divorce Feb. 9 and were separated, Lane said.The
couple had filed for bankruptcy in June 2010, and the cost of
separation and maintaining two homes compounded their financial
hardship, according to divorce records.Kelli Murphy's family members issued a statement Monday night.“No
words can express the sadness and pain our family is experiencing. We
ask that we be allowed to grieve for our loss and face this tragedy in
the shelter of privacy," the family said. "We do ask that you join us in
praying for Eric. We pray God would grant him all comfort and peace at
this time.”

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/28003131/detail.html

Defense asks for conviction on a lesser charge in case of mother accused of suffocating her children

Posted: 11/27/2012, Last Updated: 3 hours ago
Tyler Lopez and Phil Tenser

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. - The lawyer for a Castle Rock mother accused of murdering her two children asked a jury Tuesday to find her guilty of a lesser crime.

Kelli Murphy is charged with murder in the deaths of her children -- 9-year-old Liam and 6-year-old Madigan. The children were killed one day before Murphy was due in court for a child custody hearing.

Murphy called 911 on May 23, 2011 to say that she had attempted suicide. When the dispatcher asked about the kids in the home, Murphy replied that they were "already in heaven," according to Castle Rock Police Chief Tony Lane.

That 911 tape was played for the court Tuesday, during the closing arguments.

The children were found dead in the family's home Murphy's lawyer told the jury he wanted them to find her guilty of reckless manslaughter, a lesser offense than murder. The defense didn’t argue that she was innocent, but instead that she was unaware of what she did because of the mix of pain medication and alcohol she was on at the time.

The sentencing difference between a reckless manslaughter and murder conviction would allow Murphy a chance at parole instead of life in prison.

During the prosecutions closing argument, the DA reiterated testimony from their expert, a medical examiner. That medical examiner, they said, testified that suffocating children takes several minutes after the child stops struggling, and that doing it twice without knowledge is impossible.

Family members, including some from California, were in the courtroom for the end of the arguments.

The jury began deliberating this case shortly after 11 a.m.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/closing-arguments-expected-in-case-of-castle-rock-mother-accused-of-smothering-her-2-children

I agree with the DA and hope they put her away for life with no parole. Those poor children.

This evil murdering bitch wants mercy but she showed no mercy on her children. LWOP is the least she should get.