96 years for Colorado Springs man who killed siblings
Malik Murphy has been sentenced to prison after he admitted to killing his young siblings in October 2017.
Murphy, who was 19 at the time that he stabbed his 5-year-old sister and 7-year-old brother, had been charged with first-degree murder. During a motions hearing Friday, Murphy pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, according to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
Court records also say Murphy then stabbed his father when he tried intervened on the killings. The attack happened inside a home on the 900 block of Carlisle Street. Records say Murphy planned to kill his whole family so that he could live alone in the home.
"Nobody deserves what happened to them. When I think about it, it just tears me up. That they had to go out terrified and with a family member doing that to them. I feel empty," said Marcus Mason, Murphy's uncle, during a court appearance in 2017.
The family said they knew Malik was suffering from depression and were trying to get him help.
Murphy was sentenced to 48 years for each murder count, and they'll be served consecutively.
The Murphy family didn't want to speak to us on camera but sent us the following statement about the sentencing.
"We can't say we're pleased or satisfied by today's news -- or that it leaves us at peace. To be honest, the adjective has not been invented that can accurately convey what we feel 787 days after our precious Sophia and Noah were taken from us. Words were not meant to describe the kind of anguish that affixes itself to parents when two of their children are savagely murdered by a third.
"The best we can offer is to say we are relieved that we are now able to move forward toward closure, knowing we will never fully have it. Justice has been done in the sense that Malik has been held accountable for his actions. But injustice remains, because our family has been forever shattered."
We spoke with Jennifer Viehman with the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office who tells us this is one of the most emotionally draining cases she has ever worked on, "In terms of this case it absolutely has been emotional difficulties of this, two very, two babies gone and it just is heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking." Viehman also represented the prosecution against Patrick Frazee.
On Friday during the sentencing, Viehman says Melissa Murphy the mother of Malik spoke to her son and the judge about the pain they have been going through every day since October 17th, 2017. Viehman saying it brought everyone in the courtroom to tears including herself. "It was heart wrenching absolutely heart wrenching. I don't know if there was a dry eye in the courtroom," Viehman says.
