Friday, December 13, 2024

Disgraced Ukiah Police Sergeant Kevin Murray Cited in Lake County for Taking Woman’s Wallet While on Bail—Allegedly Stole $16, Earrings, and a 9mm Bullet

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Former Ukiah Police Sergeant Kevin Murray in a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Booking Log Photo

Former Ukiah Police Department Sergeant Kevin Murray has found himself once again at the wrong end of the law. Yesterday, February 10, 2022, Murray was cited for his alleged role in the theft of a woman’s wallet from a Lakeport grocery store while out on bail for multiple felonies in Mendocino.

According to Lakeport Police Department Chief Brad Rasmussen, on the afternoon of November 30, 2021, Murray came into the Lakeport Police Department and turned in a wallet he reportedly found at a grocery store. 

Approximately one hour later, LPD received a report that a separate grocery store’s surveillance system had captured footage of a man grabbing a woman’s wallet off a store shelf after she accidentally left it there. 

Chief Rasmussen said his officers responded to the scene, reviewed surveillance footage provided by the business, and found that the man seen on video grabbing the wallet was the very same man that had entered Lakeport Police Department earlier that afternoon claiming to have found a wallet and felt the need to turn it into authorities.

Investigating officers provided the woman the wallet that had been turned in and determined three items were taken from within: a pair of earrings, $16, and a singular 9mm bullet. 

Murray’s rapsheet is extensive and infamous for charges ranging from possession of methamphetamine, forced oral copulation, and rape. 

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Another mugshot of Kevin Murray after being booked into the Mendocino County Jail

He currently awaits trial for multiple criminal complaints. One complaint is the result of a 2014 incident in which Murray is alleged to have raped a woman referred to as “Jane Doe” forcing oral copulation while in possession of a firearm.

Another criminal complaint filed against Murray by the Mendocino County District attorney accuses Murray of an incident where he forced the woman, in that case, to touch his “penis against her will, for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse.” Within that criminal complaint, Murray is also accused of burglary, possession of methamphetamine, and violation of civil rights from excessive use of force.

Murray and his actions are the primary focus of a civil suit filed against the Ukiah Police Department and the City of Ukiah by a former female UPD officer. Murray allegedly sexually assaulted her and after reporting it to her superiors, this former UPD officer purportedly faced a work culture of discrimination and retaliation.

Murray is also the focus of a 2018 civil suit filed and won by Ukiah resident Christopher Rasku. The suit stated Murray entered Rasku’s home unlawfully, knocking him unconscious, and proceeded to punch and kick him, causing broken ribs, a punctured lung, and nerve damage. The lawsuit resulted in a significant payout for Rasku. 

On January 29, 2021, Chief Justin Wyatt announced to the public Kevin Murray was “no longer employed with the Ukiah Police Department” and asserted the department “reached out to the District Attorney immediately and asked for a criminal investigation into Murray’s conduct the evening of November 25, 2020.” During this statement, Chief Wyatt stated Murray’s actions “in no way reflects the standards of the city of Ukiah or the Ukiah Police Department.”

As per a document filed by the Deputy District Attorney Heidi C. Larson, Mendocino County is actively petitioning to revoke Murray’s bail having “received a crime report from Lakeport Police Department”

The criminal trial against Kevin Murray and his litany of charges is scheduled for March 14, 2022.

With due respect to the victims of the circumstances described, it must be stated that the charges Murray stands accused of have not been proven in a court of law. In accordance with the legal principle of the presumption of innocence, any individual described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Previous Coverage:

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12 COMMENTS

  1. “Presumed innocence” is a legal nicety, but this clown has an ugly track record.
    Local law enforcement has at least a few bad apples in the barrel, which is about par.

  2. Amazing what a piece of SHIT this dude turned out to be. What kind of shit was he doing that he never got caught at? A TON OF SHIT! What a fucking pile of garbage…

  3. How can they prove the items were actually in the purse? I get that video may show who may have had access to the purse, but evidence is weak about theft.

  4. Can you imagine (I don’t think we have to) the things Police got away with in decades past, before the invent of high quality body cams/audio?

    I’m not against police, just ‘Bad Policing’.

    I’m just stating the obvious.

  5. “Whatever you do in the dark will come out into the light”. My Dad used to say that. He liked ” When your 18 you better be ready to hit the ground running” too. Miss that ol sage.

  6. Forgive my confusion but all of these different articles makes all of the information somewhat convoluted. If possible just a complete listing of all of these cases from the begining starting with 2014. It is very upsetting to see a predator like this get away with it. One has to wonder why he is being treated with kid gloves? Not enough jurors? Come on! Then they wait till they get enough? and he’s been on O.R. All this time and he’s known to threaten witnesses. before trial? WTF? And now he’s been ordered home ? to be around his, daughters? Say what? Just one more misstep and he’s going to have to go prison.? ‘One’ more misstep? How many more women have to endure this type of crime before the courts can find enough jurors to convict his multiple missteps. In order to have another real trial and a real court (with a jury.) I’d say he has been doing this before 2014. He’s a habitual serial rapist who’s been sent home to live with who? his daughters? Jesus weeps

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Matt LaFever
Matt LaFeverhttps://mendofever.com/
For the past seven years, Matt LaFever has covered the North Coast of California in both print and radio news. A Humboldt State graduate, he has lived in the Emerald Triangle for nearly 20 years. His reporting spans local issues like crime and wildfires. When not writing, Matt is an avid outdoorsman, exploring Northern California’s rugged landscapes. Reach out to him at matthewplafever@gmail.com.

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