A Tippo man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to culpable negligence manslaughter in the March 2015 shooting death of his late son’s girlfriend.
Roger Dale Murphey Sr., 59, of 1469 Tippo Road, entered the plea Tuesday morning in Tallahatchie County Circuit Court in Charleston, where jury selection for Murphey’s trial for his alleged murder of Mandy Wynne Baker, 35, occurred Monday.
As a result of plea bargaining, Murphey and his Grenada attorneys, M. Kevin Horan and James H. Powell, on Tuesday reached agreement with the district attorney’s office and the court to have Murphey’s charge reduced from “deliberate design murder” to “culpable negligence manslaughter.”
Under state law, Murphey could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and assessed a fine of up to $10,000. Because of his plea arrangement, according to court documents, the district attorney’s office reportedly will recommend to presiding Circuit Judge Smith Murphey V, of no relation to the defendant, that Murphey receive no more than 10 years to serve.
Sentencing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 17 in Senatobia.
After receiving a 911 call about a March 15, 2015, incident at a residence located at 169 Tippo Creek Road, county sheriff’s deputies arrived to find two deceased persons.
The defendant’s son, Roger Dale Murphey Jr., 33, was inside his vehicle in front of the house. Found on the ground near the vehicle was the body of Ms. Baker. The two, both victims of single gunshot wounds, had been living together at the residence, officials said.
Initial reports were that the younger Murphey had committed suicide, but more information about how the events unfolded was not made public prior to this week.
