Man who fled to Canada to avoid prosecution is captured, sentenced to 30 years

Sun Herald
·2 min read
19

A man who fled to Canada for eight years to avoid prosecution on child sex changes was convicted this week in Hancock County.

The charges against Matthew Thomas Murphy are from 2012 and involved allegations that he attempted to have young children perform oral sex on him.

But after he posted bond years ago, Murphy fled and took authorities on a multi-agency international manhunt led by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, who eventually found him in Quebec, Canada, in 2021. Murphy had used five different aliases while on the run.

The District Attorney’s Office worked with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State to secure the international extradition of Murphy to stand trial in Hancock County. The Defendant returned to Hancock County in November 2022 for trial on these charges, said assistant district attorneys Chris Daniel and Jeremy Necaise, who prosecuted the case.

This week, Murphy was convicted on two counts of attempted touching of a child for lustful purposes. Judge Larry Bourgeois presided over the three-day jury trial, which concluded Thursday morning at the Hancock County Courthouse.

After receiving the jury’s verdict, Judge Bourgeois sentenced Murphy to a total of 30 years, with 20 years to serve without the benefit of parole or early release, followed by 10 years of post-release supervision by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

The victims in the case, now 14 and 17 years old, testified during the case.

Prior to imposing sentencing, Judge Bourgeois stated, “You are supposed to nurture and care for children, instead you used them for your lustful and licentious sexual desires. You treated them like sex toys. These children said, ‘No!’ and they knew better than you.”

Said District Attorney Crosby Parker: “This conviction was made possible due to the courage of two little girls and the commitment of federal, state, and county law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly for 10 years to ensure they received justice after the betrayal of an adult who was once in their lives. We greatly appreciate the tireless efforts of these professionals who ensured justice was served in this case.”