Last week, a jury in the Navarro County Court at Law found Antonio Murphy guilty of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon and Possession of a Controlled Substance (4–200 grams).
Murphy was arrested in June 2021 after driving his vehicle into a flooded area near Chambers Creek and northbound IH-45 around 2:50 a.m. Both Murphy and a passing motorist called 911 for assistance. Navarro County Sheriff’s Deputies Matt Porter and Travis Thurston were dispatched to check on his welfare. Upon arrival, Deputy Thurston detected the odor of alcohol and observed signs of intoxication. During a pat-down, Thurston discovered a pistol along with baggies containing pills and cocaine in Murphy’s front pants pocket.
During the trial, the defense argued that deputies violated Murphy’s rights and urged the jury to disregard the evidence. However, neither the judge nor the jury found this argument convincing.
Additional concerns arose during the proceedings when sheriff’s deputies reported that a juror had received unsolicited phone calls over the weekend from Murphy and one of his relatives. An investigation revealed that Murphy had obtained confidential juror information during jury selection, taken it back to jail, and used it to place multiple calls. A relative also assisted in contacting the juror.
On Wednesday, prosecutors introduced court records detailing Murphy’s extensive criminal history, which included multiple charges for assault, drug delivery, and aggravated assault. The records also showed that he had previously served two prison sentences.
After approximately 40 minutes of deliberation, the jury sentenced Murphy to 25 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The State of Texas was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Katy Colts and Enoch Basnett, while Murphy was represented by Attorney Damara Watkins.
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