Shaun Murphy of Farmington, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to the horrific killing of two-spirited 16-year-old Fred Martinez.
Who was Shaun Murphy?
Shaun Murphy, an 18-year-old New Mexican teen, got notorious after he battered Fred F.C Martinez Jr, a 16-year-old who identified as Two Spirit in Cortez, Colorado.
He was imprisoned with a 40-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in 2002.
His whereabouts have been explored recently for an investigation discovery TV show named Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death after he was released on parole after he served 17 years of prison time in 2018.
According to Mark Frairbrain, interim spokesman of the Colorado Department of Corrections, published in the 2019 Journal Report, Murphy was released on agreeing to abstain from alcohol and intoxicating drugs.
Murphy now resides in Greeley, Colorado. Mark did not release further information on restricted travelling and the curfew duration of his supervised release.
Image Source – The Mirror
The Story Behind
Fred F.C Martinez Jr was a Native American student from Montezuma Cortez High School, Colorado, who identified as a Two Spirit person (gay). He was obvious and expressive about his feminine orientation.
On June 21, 2021, Fred’s body was discovered South of Cortez, dead and decomposed after he went missing for five days when he left home to go to the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo.
An anonymous caller to Crimestoppers revealed that Murphy bragged to his friends that he “beat up a fag”. Montezuma Sheriffs arrested Murphy in this connection.
He admitted to the killing of the 16-year-old after learning his gender identity. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder; whereafter he was sentenced to 40 years. In September 2019, Murphy, aged 36, was released from prison.
This murder got the nation’s attention, and a film, Two Spirit, was released in 2009, exploring this unfortunate happening.
Cathy Reena, an LGBTQ advocate familiar with Fred, said this release may instigate fear in the Southwest Colorado LGBTQ community. She continued that though the crime happened decades ago, it still stands as one of the most brutal hate crime murders she had seen.
“For the local community, I can imagine it’s pretty traumatic to know that someone who is a brutal killer from years ago is back out on the streets,” Renna said. She added that Murphy’s early release adds insult to injury.
This story was covered on ID’s Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death and aired on Tuesday, May 9, at 9 pm ET. It was titled Killing of Two Spirits, and the message it gave at the end was:
“In 2001, in Cortez, Colo., the violent murder of a gay Navajo teenager means two spirits die with him.”
Read More: Logan Ries Motorcycle Accident: How did Logan Ries die?
