Facebook Twitter Email
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2002

An 18-year-old New Mexico man has pleaded guilty on to second-degree murder for the death of a gay, transgendered Navajo teen.

Shaun Murphy faces a minimum of four years and a maximum of 48 for the death of Fred Martinez Jr. Martinez was last seen June 16 when he left for a rodeo on the Southern Ute Reservation in Colorado.

Five days later, his badly decomposed and severely beaten body was found in canyon near Cortez.

Murphy was alleged to have bragged about beating up a "fag." He was charged with both first- and second-degree murder and pleaded innocent to both last October.

Get the Story:
Murphy pleads guilty to murder (The Cortez Journal 2/9)
Killer agrees to plea bargain (The Denver Rocky Mountain News 2/9)
Murphy pleads guilty to murder (The Farmington Daily-Times 2/9)

Related Stories:
Teen pleads innocent to Navajo death (10/23)
Jodi Rave: Ignorance no excuse for crime (10/15)
Man held without bond for Navajo death (9/10)
Question looms over Navajo death (9/4)
State to aid in Navajo death case (8/16)
Murder one for Murphy in Navajo death (8/14)
Suspect in Navajo death has hearing (8/13)
Vigil to be held for Navajo teen (8/8)
Little revealed on death of Navajo teen (7/27)
Police defend actions on Navajo teen case (7/24)
Death of Navajo teen highlights struggle (7/23)
Mother calls son's death a hate crime (7/19)
Suspect bragged about beating Navajo (7/12)
Teen-ager arrested in killing of Navajo (7/6)