Columbus man identified through CrimeStoppers sentenced to prison for 2019 fatal stabbing
After waffling on whether to take a plea deal, a Columbus man pleaded guilty Monday to a 2019 fatal stabbing outside an East Side convenience store that was captured on surveillance video.
When Ernest Murphy, 35, first stepped into a courtroom on Monday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, he wasn’t ready to accept a plea deal with county prosecutors for killing 29-year-old Kyle William Stewart, of Pataskala.
Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Brown encouraged Murphy to consider the deal some more, noting he would not postpone Murphy's trial again.
“Mr. Murphy, it’s my understanding that this is all on video and you’ve been offered a very, very reasonable deal if you’re only going to get 20 years. If you go to trial, you’re going to get convicted, which based upon what I heard may very well happen, you’re going to get life without parole is what you’re going to get,” Brown said.
After consulting with his lawyer, Larry Thomas, Murphy came back into the courtroom a short time later and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter to avoid a trial on charges of aggravated murder and murder.
Brown sentenced Murphy to an indefinite prison sentence of 20 to 25½ years, as recommended in the plea deal by prosecutors and Murphy’s lawyer. Nine years of that came from Murphy pleading to a repeat violent offender specification. Murphy was previously convicted of aggravated robbery in 2008 in Lucas County.
Murphy has been in jail for more than three years pending trial, which will count toward his time served.
According to prosecutors, Murphy assaulted Stewart and his griflriend, Melissa Dingess, around 8 p.m. on April 22, 2019 in a parking lot outside a Shop-N-Go Market, located at 3951 E. Livingston Ave. in a strip shopping center.
Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Renee Amlin said Murphy walked past the Shop-N-Go that night and likely saw the couple through the window withdrawing money from the ATM there.
Murphy waited for the couple to exit and hit Dingus, causing her to fall to the ground, Amlin said. Stewart then confronted Murphy and during the ensuing fight, Murphy took out a knife and stabbed Stewart once in the chest, according to Amlin.
Stewart, who was unarmed, died at a local hospital several hours later.
Murphy ran away from the scene. More than a year later, in May 2020, Central Ohio Crimestoppers offered a reward for information on the case and portions of the surveillance video was featured in local news media. Multiple tips from the community led police to Murphy.
Thomas said during the sentencing hearing that his client has accepted responsibility for his actions.
“His hesitation (to take the plea) was not because he didn't feel he’s guilty. He was thinking maybe he could get a better deal,” Thomas said of Murphy.
Lori Brown, Stewart’s mother, said in court during the victim's impact portion of the sentencing hearing that the worst thing a parent can experience is having to bury a child that was taken too soon.
“Kyle will never see his (three) children grow up,” Brown said. “(Murphy) gave us a life sentence without Kyle.”
Murphy apologized to Stewart’s family during the hearing, turning to them in the gallery as he spoke.
“I wish I could take this situation back,” he said. “I am truly sorry.”
jlaird@dispatch.com
@LairdWrites
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man takes plea bargain for fatal stabbing, gets 20-25½ years
