Yesterday was deadline day for Kevin Murphy to submit a motion for post conviction collateral relief, as he seeks to reverse his 2013 convictions and death penalty for the shooting deaths of his mother, sister, and aunt. His online docket sheet does not yet indicate whether any motion was filed.
The state Supreme Court has already dismissed Murphy’s appeals. He is now 57 years old. The former Saltsburg man is seeking court reviews of his trial, contending that his attorneys did not effectively defend him. Last July, his new attorneys asked for access to the physical evidence and trial exhibits, including the .22 caliber revolver used in the killings at the family’s glass business in Loyalhanna Township, Westmoreland County. Prosecutors said his motive for the killings in April of 2009 was the victims’ objection to his relationship with a married woman.
On November 6th, Westmoreland County Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio granted another 120 day extension for Murphy’s attorneys to put together their petition. Yesterday was the 120th day since that order.
