Murphy pleads guilty to all counts
GREENCASTLE -- The jury was seated and the trial was ready to begin Wednesday when the attorney for a Fillmore man charged with six felonies related to a child molestation informed prosecutors her client wished to plead guilty to all counts.
Lee Alan Murphy, 35, of Fillmore is charged with Class A felony child molesting, two counts of Class B felony sexual misconduct with a minor, Class C felonies child molesting and sexual misconduct with a minor and Class D felony dissemination of matter harmful to a minor.
Putnam County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Headley ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set Murphy's sentencing for Oct. 1.
Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter said Murphy's change of heart about going through with the trial might have had to do with "facing the reality of what's going to happen."
"Then you have the victim, this brave little girl, and the good news is she doesn't have to testify," Bookwalter said. "I don't have to put her on that stand in front of strangers to talk about the terrible things that have happened to her."
In court, Murphy's attorney, Melinda Jackman-Hanlin, was careful to point out that her client understood what he was doing.
"I'm not pressuring you into this?" she asked. "And Mr. Bookwalter is not pressuring you into this?"
Bookwalter asked Murphy about several specific situations of molestation, but Murphy said he couldn't remember any of them.
"I don't remember the situations, but they more than likely happened, yes," Murphy said.
Murphy is accused of performing various sexual acts with a minor female between the summer of 2007 and the fall of 2008.
Jackman-Hanlin attempted on Aug. 20 to get a change on venue for Murphy's trial on the grounds that media coverage of the case would make it impossible for Murphy to get a fair trial in Putnam County. Headley dismissed Jackman-Hanlin's motion without a hearing.
Murphy was arrested on March 11, and has been lodged at the Putnam County Jail since that date in lieu of a $50,000 bond. Headley remanded Murphy back to the jail after he pled on Wednesday.
Murphy pled not guilty to all charges at his initial hearing on March 13. He was set to enter a change of plea in June, but withdrew his request for a change of plea a day before the hearing was to take place.
Class A felonies are punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 50 years. Class B felonies carry a maximum of 20 years, while Class C felonies carry a maximum of eight years and Class D felonies carry a maximum of three years.