Jack Roland Murphy
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jack Roland Murphy (May 26, 1937 – September 12, 2020), known as "Murph the Surf" or "Murf the Surf", was convicted of murder in 1969. He was also involved in the biggest jewel heist in American history, the 1964 burglary of the jewel collection of New York's
American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
. Murphy is also known for being a
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
champion, musician, author, and artist. He was released from prison in 1986. He spent his latter years as an ordained minister, working with inmates in the field of
prison ministry Prison religion includes the religious beliefs and practices of prison inmates, usually stemming from or including concepts surrounding their imprisonment and accompanying lifestyle. "Prison Ministry" is a larger concept, including the support of th ...
.


Early life

Murphy was born in
Oceanside, California Oceanside is a city on the South Coast (California), South Coast of California, located in San Diego County, California, San Diego County. The city had a population of 167,086 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The city is a popular ...
. He was an only child and his father worked as a telephone company lineman. As a child, Murphy enjoyed the violin and surfing. His family moved to
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
when he was in high school. According to Murphy, he played violin with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and won a tennis scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh.Meryl Gordon
"The 50th Anniversary of New York's Most Sensational Jewel Heist,"
'' Vanity Fair'', October 29, 2014.
In 1955 he moved to
Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
where he worked at hotels. He married Gloria Sostoc in 1957. They had two children together before divorcing in 1962. He remarried and opened a surf shop in
Indialantic, Florida Indialantic (officially incorporated as Indialantic-By-The-Sea, though the official name is seldom used in casual parlance) is a town in Brevard County, Florida. The town's population was 2,720 at the 2010 United States Census. It is part of the ...
.


Burglary

Murphy was involved in the notorious burglary, on October 29, 1964, at New York's
American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
, of 24 precious gems, including the Star of India, the Eagle Diamond and the
DeLong Star Ruby The DeLong Star Ruby, a oval cabochon star ruby, was discovered in Burma in the 1930s. It was sold by Martin Ehrmann to Edith Haggin DeLong for , who then donated it to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in 1937. On October ...
.David Sears
"How Three Amateur Jewel Thieves Made Off With New York’s Most Precious Gems,"
'' Smithsonian'', February 25, 2014.
This heist was called the "Jewel Heist of the Century." It targeted the museum's J.P. Morgan jewel collection. Murphy had cased the museum earlier and discovered that security was lax to non-existent. The burglar alarm system was non-operational, and the hall's 19 exterior windows were left open two inches overnight for ventilation. The thieves climbed in through the window and discovered that the display case alarms were non-functional as well. The stolen jewels were reported as being worth more than $400,000, though museum officials indicated the loss was actually incalculable. Murphy and both his accomplices, Alan Kuhn and Roger Clark, were arrested two days later after police had been tipped off by staff members at the Cambridge House hotel where the three men had been staying and throwing lavish parties. The men were charged with first degree burglary and possession of burglary tools. Free on bail, the men returned to Florida. Months later, prosecutors charged Murphy and Kuhn with the unrelated robbery and assault of actress
Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), ...
. In response to the new charges, a judge raised their bail to $150,000 and the men were jailed. Kuhn offered to retrieve the jewels in exchange for a lighter sentence. The uninsured Star of India was recovered from a locker at a Miami bus station. Most of the other gems were also recovered, except the Eagle Diamond, which has since been hypothesized to have been cut down into smaller stones. Richard Duncan Pearson was also convicted. In April 1965, Murphy, Kuhn and Clark pleaded guilty to burglary and grand larceny and were sentenced to three years. Writer
Nora Ephron Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films and was nominated three times for the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award f ...
, then only 23, covered the story for the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
''. The heist was the subject of the film '' Murph the Surf'' (
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
), directed by Marvin Chomsky, and starring Robert Conrad,
Burt Young Gerald Tommaso DeLouise (born April 30, 1940), known professionally as Burt Young, is an American actor, author and painter. He played Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law and best friend Paulie Pennino in the '' Rocky'' film series. He was nominated f ...
, and
Don Stroud Donald Lee Stroud (born September 1, 1943) is an American actor, musician, and surfer. Stroud has appeared in over 100 films and 200 television shows. Early years Stroud was the son of vaudeville actor Clarence Stroud (of "The Stroud Twins" team ...
(as Murphy).


Whiskey Creek murders and other crimes

In 1967, in
Broward County, Florida Broward County ( , ) is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with over 1.94 m ...
, the weighted-down bodies of Terry Rae Frank and Annelle Marie Mohn were found in Whiskey Creek Canal, near
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
, at the site of John U. Lloyd Beach State Park. The two women were former employees of the Los Angeles brokerage firm Rutner, Jackson & Gray. They were suspects in the theft of $488,732 worth of stocks (equivalent to approximately $ in dollars). The loss of the stocks was not discovered until after the two women quit the firm and moved to Florida. Shortly after arriving in Florida, Frank and Mohn moved in with Murphy. In 1968, Murphy was the getaway driver in the robbery of socialite Olive Wofford."Florida won't restore rights of famed jewel thief,"
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, December 14, 2012.
In 1969, Murphy and an accomplice, Jack Griffith, were tried in Fort Lauderdale for the murder of 24-year-old Terry Rae Frank, one of two women whose bodies were found in the Whiskey Creek Canal. Murphy's attorney pleaded not guilty of first-degree murder by reason of insanity. Murphy was committed to a mental hospital for several months before the judge ruled that he was fit to stand trial. In March 1969, he was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor. Griffith was convicted of second-degree murder, and received a 45-year sentence with hard labor., Murphy subsequently was convicted in the Wofford robbery. He was sentenced to a second life sentence plus 20 years.


Parole

Bill Glass,
Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...
, and
McCoy McLemore McCoy McLemore Jr. (April 3, 1942 – April 30, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the 1960s and 1970s. He played college basketball for Drake University. Basketball career Early years Born in Houston, Texas, McLemo ...
, world champion athletes and local businessmen, visited the Florida State prison in 1974. Murphy was impressed by these visitors and decided to change his life. At that time, Murphy's earliest parole date was November 2005. Murphy began participating in the prison chaplaincy program, leading Bible studies, and mentoring other men in prison. His parole date was moved up progressively because of good behavior. The Florida Parole Board voted to release Murphy, effective November 1986. Some conditions of his parole included making a $2500 donation to
Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels is a programme that delivers meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programmes, not all of which are actually named ...
, and a restriction on returning to Dade and Broward counties, where the crimes were committed.


Life after prison

In 1986, Murphy began visiting prisons and jails all over the U.S. as a part of his prison ministry. He was hired by Bill Glass Champions for Life in 1986. Murphy was also a featured speaker for
Kairos Prison Ministry Kairos Prison Ministry International is an interdenominational Christian ministry that aims to address the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, youth, and their families. Kairos Prison Ministry is composed of three programs: Kairos Insid ...
, Coalition of Prison Evangelists,
International Network of Prison Ministries The International Network of Prison Ministries (INPM) is a Dallas, Texas based crime prevention and rehabilitation trans-national organization. History As of 2016 INPM listed over 4,600 prison ministries worldwide. Programs INPM functions th ...
, Time for Freedom, and Good News Jail & Prison Ministry. After visiting over 1,200 prisons, and recognizing the change apparent in Murphy's life, the Florida Parole Board terminated his "lifetime parole" in 2000. Murphy was the keynote speaker in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
during the 1st World Conference on Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation through Religion. He was a frequent guest on Christian television and radio programs. Murphy also appeared on CNN's Larry King Live. As of August 2011, Murphy had been serving as a Vice-President of
International Network of Prison Ministries The International Network of Prison Ministries (INPM) is a Dallas, Texas based crime prevention and rehabilitation trans-national organization. History As of 2016 INPM listed over 4,600 prison ministries worldwide. Programs INPM functions th ...
, visiting prisons, jails, and youth detention facilities all over the world. Murphy wrote a book about his experience and testimony entitled ''Jewels for the Journey''. He carried campaign signs for Bernie Decastro for sheriff in 2012. Jack Roland Murphy lived in
Crystal River, Florida Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,108 in the 2010 census. According to the U.S. Census estimates of 2018, the city had a population of 3,162. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self p ...
, with his wife, Kitten, and grandchildren. In 2012, Murphy's bid for clemency was denied by the state of Florida. Former Florida Department of Corrections Secretary
Louie L. Wainwright Louie Lee Wainwright (September 11, 1923 – December 23, 2021) was an American corrections administrator who served as Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections from 1962 to 1987. He is known for having been the named respondent in two ...
spoke on Murphy's behalf about the prison ministry work he had done since his 1986 release from prison. According to reports, Governor
Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Scott ...
was personally willing to restore Murphy's rights, but did not have the additional two votes from cabinet members required under Florida law. Murphy has been featured in the following films: *'' Murph the Surf'' (
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
) *''Great Crimes and Trials of the Twentieth Century - Murf the Surf: The Boston Brink's Robbery'' (
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
) *''Do's and Don'ts of Prison Ministry'' (
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
) In a 2019 ''New York Times'' feature story on the 1964 jewel heist, Murphy, the only survivor among the robbers, was quoted at length from his home in Florida. Murphy died on September 12, 2020, in Crystal River Florida. According to his wife he died of heart and organ failure.


References


External links


"Jewels for the Journey"St. Petersburg Times: September 21, 2003
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Jack Roland 1938 births American people convicted of murder Jewel thieves 2020 deaths American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Florida People convicted of murder by Florida People from Oceanside, California American surfers