RYAN MURPHY - 2 yo (6/2011) - Bristow VA

BRISTOW, Va. — A 2-year-old boy is dead in northern Virginia
where he may have been left in a family minivan in the heat for several
hours.
Prince William County police identified the boy as Ryan Murphy. His parents’ names were not released.Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Chinn says the minivan was in the
driveway of the family home when the child was found in a car seat. She
says it appears the boy was in the vehicle all day and the death may be
heat-related.Chinn says the mother’s screams once the child was discovered alerted a neighbor who administered CPR.Neighbors tell The Washington Post the mother was not neglectful and that residents were in shock.Police say an investigation continues.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/police-say-2-year-old-boy-found-dead-in-car-seat-after-being-left-for-hours-in-va-minivan/2011/06/18/AGNXpGaH_story.html

Mother Karen Murphy Indicted For Murder In Toddler Ryan Murphy's Death In Minivan In Bristow
7:20 PM, Jul 6, 2011
BRISTOW, Va. (WUSA) -- Karen Murphy made her first court appearance Wednesday on a felony murder and child neglect charges in the death of her 2-year-old son Ryan Murphy.
Ryan died on June 17 after being left in the family's minivan for seven hours. The veterinarian apparently forgot to drop him off at daycare before going to her animal hospital.
At the end of the day, Karen Murphy got in the car and drove home, apparently unaware Ryan was still in the back seat, until her husband called and wondered why he wasn't at daycare where he was supposed to pick him up.
"There's no explanation. It's sad. It's one of those cases that didn't have to happen, but it did," said Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert.
In court, Murphy, 40, looked sullen and grief-stricken as she sat with her husband and attorney waiting for her name to be called.
Her attorney, Edward MacMahon said he was surprised Ebert decided to pursue such serious charges against Murphy and so soon after the death of their child.
"The family hasn't even had a chance to mourn," said MacMahon.
"Mrs. Murphy is a wonderful mother. A very caring and loving mother. She has two other children to raise still and she is just devastated by this loss," said MacMahon.
"We will do everything we can legally to keep this family together and to keep the prosecutor and the legal system from tearing this family apart for what was obviously a very tragic accident, " said MacMahon.
When we spoke to neighbors in June, they said her husband, father, Mark Murphy, was already at the golf course where he works Friday morning. Karen Murphy, who is a veterinarian, was apparently on her way to her animal hospital Friday morning. Neighbors believe it was either a miscommunication or that she forgot to drop off her youngest child, Ryan at his daycare.

At 4:15 p.m., when Karen Murphy realized little Ryan was still in his car seat in the backseat, seven hours later, it was too late. She screamed, a neighbor performed CPR, but the child could not be saved.
Ebert says part of what influenced his decision to pursue charges was a similar incident that happened last January. He says Murphy left Ryan in the minivan alone in the parking lot of her workplace for about 20 minutes. She retrieved Ryan after getting a call from his day care center which was actually calling about another matter, but served to remind her that her son was still in the van. No such call saved Ryan in June.
Murphy was released on $25,000 bond and her own recognizance. Her attorney arranged to set a plea date on July 15th.
http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/157356/373/Mother-Charged-In-Boys-Minivan-Death-Turns-Herself-In

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. --

A Bristow mother charged after her 2-year-old son was found dead
in the back of her minivan is set to appear in Prince William Circuit
Court this morning.

Karen Wynne Murphy is charged with felony murder, child abuse and child neglect in the June 17 death of Ryan Murphy.

According to court documents, a plea is expected in the case.

In court documents police said the toddler was left in
the family’s 2010 Honda Odyssey minivan for seven hours while his mother
worked at Caring Hands Animal Hospital and then drove home to their
house on Gentle Shade Drive in Bristow.

It wasn’t until her husband went to pick up Ryan at day
care at around 4 p.m. and discovered he wasn’t there, that Karen Murphy
found him in the back of the van, still strapped into his car seat, and
unresponsive, prosecutors said at the time of Murphy’s arrest.

A neighbor tired to perform CPR on Ryan, who rescue workers pronounced dead at the scene.

It wasn’t the first time Murphy had forgotten Ryan in the
minivan, according to an affidavit for a search warrant on file in
Prince William Circuit Court.

According to the court document, in January, Ryan’s
day care called Murphy at work to ask about the toddler not being at
school. Murphy then got the boy out of her minivan, parked in her work
parking lot, and brought him inside. He’d been left in the van about 20
minutes, the court document states.

At the time of Murphy’s arrest, defense attorneys said the case was a tragic accident.

"Karen Murphy is a wonderful mother and a wonderful person," her defense attorney, Edward B. MacMahon Jr., said at the time. "She never obviously intended for her child to die."
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2012/mar/12/plea-expected-karen-murphy-bristow-toddler-van-ar-1757707/

A Virginia woman whose 2-year-old son died after being left in the family's minivan pleaded guilty Monday.

Karen Murphy, of Prince William County, was charged with felony murder, child abuse and child neglect.

Murphy left her son, Ryan, in his car seat when she went to work on June 17, 2011.

She drove home from work, and later found him dead in the backseat.

Murphy was sentenced to twelve months in jail. The judge suspended all twelve months and ordered six years of probation and 400-hours of community service.

Monday, March 12 2012, 01:00 PM EDT

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_12591.shtml

She was over charged to begin with, but she sure got off lightly.

400 hours of community service for the death of a child. What a trade.