Published Friday, June 06, 2008
Suspect knocks 'on the wrong door'
The Newnan Times-Herald
A chance encounter in Sharpsburg between a suspected child molester and a detective with the Atlanta Police Department's sex crimes unit concluded with an arrest Wednesday.
Coweta County Jail records indicate that 20-year-old Eugene Andrew Murphy was taken into police custody Wednesday and charged with criminal attempt to entice a child for indecent purposes.
Detective Lisa Roey of the APD was off duty Wednesday at her home, located on Rockland Court in Sharpsburg. Around 11:30 a.m., as she was folding laundry, she heard a knock at her front door. She pulled the curtain back before opening the door and saw a man wearing short running shorts and a tank top with no shoes on.
"I've lived in the neighborhood since 1991, and I didn't recognize him," said Roey. "I reached up and grabbed the deadbolt, thinking, where is my gun?"
Roey's 26 years in law enforcement has given her the ability to size people up, and she quickly deduced that "he didn't look right." In fact, she says, "any average citizen would have been apprehensive."
Despite her uneasiness, Roey opened the door and the first thing the stranger asked her was if there were any children at the house. She quickly told him no and asked him what he wanted, meanwhile growing more agitated with the situation. Murphy told her that his father was a volunteer firefighter and that he was having a party with ice cream and hot dogs, so they were recruiting kids to come over for the party.
Not buying Murphy's story, Roey asked him where he lived, and he answered vaguely with "up the street." When she asked which street, Murphy beat around the bush for a bit before answering with a street name she didn't recognize. When she told him to leave, he calmly and slowly exited her premises, never looking back.
Roey called the Coweta County Sheriff's Office and then got her gun and her badge. After checking on her nearby neighbors, she jumped in her car -- still wearing her pajamas -- and followed the suspicious stranger, keeping a distance behind him.
Murphy crossed Bob Smith Road on foot and entered Shady Creek Farm where 4-H'ers were participating in a camp, according to Roey. Roey made the decision then to confront him. She asked him if he remembered her, then showed him her badge. She also asked him what he was doing. He stated he did remember her and that he was coming to see someone he knew. When Roey told him he needed to leave, he did.
Still not satisfied, Roey parked her car at a good vantage point and watched as he walked south on Bob Smith Road -- being sure to continually update 911 as to his whereabouts. When Murphy reached the road where he was reportedly staying, Roey decided to approach him once more to keep him in sight until police arrived.
This time, when Murphy spotted Roey, he was "shaking" and visibly "very angry." He made an obscene gesture at her and ordered her to quit following him. As he walked toward her car, Roey warned him to back up. Undeterred, he continued and told her if she didn't stop following him, he would call the police. Ironically, just as she was informing him that they were already on their way, law enforcement officers arrived on the scene.
The last thing she was privy to was Murphy repeating the story to police about looking for children to invite to his dad's party.
Roey gave local investigators her witness statements, and then a short time after the investigation progressed, Murphy was arrested for criminal attempt to entice a child for indecent purposes.
"I have no doubt that he had the full intent to hurt a child," said Roey.
Rumors circulated Thursday that Murphy confessed to police he had been walking through Sharpsburg Wednesday looking for a child to sodomize -- however, Lt. John Lewis of the sheriff's office would not confirm or deny that report Thursday.
Lewis did stress that it is "always important for citizens to call us if they see any suspicious activity."
"He knocked on the wrong door -- or maybe he knocked on the right door," said Roey.
She hopes sharing her story will serve as a precautionary tale for everyone out there, and remind people to be vigilant when reporting suspicious behavior.
"This just goes to show, we're just not safe anywhere," said Roey.
If anyone else believes they have been victimized by Murphy, they are urged to contact the sheriff's office at 770-253-1502.
