Missouri Woman Accepts Plea Deal in Husband’s Poisoning Death Amid Affair with Inmate

Background: Jefferson City Correctional Center where Amy L. Murray was employed. Inset: Amy L. Murray

Amy L. Murray, a 47-year-old former prison nurse from Missouri, entered an Alford plea Wednesday to second-degree murder in connection with the poisoning death of her husband, Joshua Murray, 37. Joshua’s body was discovered in the burned remains of their Iberia home in December 2018, with medical examiners determining he died from ethylene glycol poisoning, commonly known as antifreeze, prior to the fire. Authorities also ruled the fire was intentionally set.

Investigations revealed that Amy Murray was engaged in an extramarital affair with Eugene Claypool, an inmate serving a life sentence for second-degree murder at the Jefferson City Correctional Center, where she had worked as a nurse. Law enforcement officials reviewed recorded phone calls between Amy Murray and Claypool, during which she expressed a desire to divorce her husband and discussed plans following Joshua’s death.

On December 11, 2018, Amy Murray told police she had taken her 11-year-old son and the family dogs to McDonald’s, and upon returning, found the house engulfed in flames. She said she was unable to enter due to heavy smoke. Joshua Murray’s body was later found on the master bedroom bed.

Following the fire, Amy Murray reportedly told Claypool that her husband was “out of the picture,” and proposed they could marry. She also suggested hiring an attorney to help Claypool seek a sentence reduction and potential release.

Originally, Amy Murray faced multiple felony charges including first-degree murder, armed criminal action, second-degree arson, tampering with physical evidence, first-degree sexual abuse, and offender abuse related to her relationship with the inmate.

Under the plea agreement, Murray accepted the Alford plea to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.