Extremism on Trial!
Roy Murry Murder Case
by Shari Dovale
Roy Murry first came into the public view when he was put on the short list for an appointment to fill the seat of Sen. Bob McCaslin when he stepped down in 2011 due to health problems.
Being passed over for that position could have been attributed to an arrest in Nevada for carrying a concealed weapon as well as sleeping in public.
As a regular customer of the ‘Front Sight’ Firearms Training Institute, it was not unusual to find Murry traveling with weapons though Nevada. During one such trip, Murry pulled over to the side of the road when he became too tired to drive. This is where the police found him.
Murry is now back in the public eye as the defendant in a triple murder and arson trial in Spokane, Washington.
Murry is accused of shooting his in-laws, Terrence and Lisa Canfield as well as Lisa’s son John Constable, then setting fire to the property to cover up the murders. The murders took place in May 2015 in Colbert, just north of Spokane.
This case is important because, regardless of who committed these crimes, the prosecutor, elected District Attorney Larry Haskell, is using this case to wage war against the right-wing conservative prepping community.
It was not difficult to prove the crime of murder, nor was is hard to explain that it was arson and not an accidental fire. However, the prosecution has yet to tie Murry directly to the crime scene, with the exception of being divorced (separated at the time) from the victims’ daughter.
Murry is a veteran, serving two tours in Iraq. He currently controls his PTSD through medications, but has a distrust of the Federal government. He is a ‘prepper’ and stockpiles supplies for emergencies, as well as selling medical supplies to other like-minded individuals.
The prosecution’s case has been based on fear and emotion. They have brought numerous witnesses to tell the jury how Murry stockpiled supplies, bad mouthed the government, and didn’t like ‘dirty ammo.’
This is a very important point. The prosecution is trying to get each witness to tell the jury that Roy always collected his brass after shooting, always cleaned the bullets before loading his weapons, etc. However, the witnesses thus far have not really picked up on these clues.
Even Murry’s ex-wife, Erica Montgomery testified that Roy was not obsessive about wiping brass after target practice. He was, however, meticulous when he would reload the brass. This is the point that the prosecutors hoped would get missed, but the defense did not let it pass. Good for them!
Montgomery was a good witness. She stressed Roy’s love of guns, his insistence on teaching her self defense, and how he could ‘clear’ a house when looking for intruders. She also cried in front of the jury when she saw Murry from the witness stand. But she could not explain why the police did not find any fingerprints on the casings at the crime scene.
The prosecution has utilized several witnesses to explain Murry’s preference for military equipment, such as body armor, and how scary that is to even police officers. One officer said he was concerned when he saw a ‘smoke grenade’ and camouflage clothing in Murry’s car.
The fact is, if this man committed these crimes, then he absolutely deserves to be punished according to the law of the land.
But –
Do not put an ideology or lifestyle on trial. Do not put a political stance on trial.
It has not been long enough since the historic election of Donald J. Trump for the country to stop it’s 8-year-old habits of demonizing the conservatives. A person can believe in less government and self-sufficiency without being put on trial for these beliefs.
If the man did the crime, then by all means, he should do the time. But he needs to be convicted on the evidence, of which the prosecution has shown very little to date.
Redoubt News is in the courtroom hearing the evidence as it is presented. Watch for updates later this week.