Crime & Safety

[UPDATE] Cabbie Slay Suspect Had Prior Murder Conviction

John Murray, one of the suspects in the murder of Peekskill resident Terry Camper, served 34-years in prison for an earlier murder conviction. He was paroled from Fishkill Correctional Facility on Nov. 8, 2011.

UPDATE, 8:15 p.m.: Thanks goes out to the Patch reader who pointed this out. 

Attached to this story is a PDF of the state Supreme Courts decison to dismiss Murray's attempt to have his conviction overturned.

In the document, it states that Murray was convicted of two separate robbery/homicides that took place in 1977 on Jan. 5 and Jan. 19. Murray pleaded guity and was sentenced to two concurrent prison terms of 25 years to life on May 19, 1978. 

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Prior to his arrest for the murder of Peekskill resident Terry Camper, John Murray served 34 years in prison for counts of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and second-degree criminal possession of weapon, according to state records.

Find out what's happening in Peekskill-Cortlandtwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Peekskill police believe Murray, a 60 year-old Newburgh resident, lured Terry Camper, 53, to Pine Street under the pretext of needing cab ride. When Camper arrived to pick Murray up, Murray shot him twice in the back of the head.

Murray was arrested in front of his home in Newburgh Thursday night, following the arrest of Beatrice Camper.

Murray was having an affair with Terry Camper’s wife, Beatrice Camper, police said. Officials believe committed the crime as part of a plot to profit off of two insurance policies that Beatrice Camper had place on her husband.

“It has all of the negative qualities in the human experience,” Peekskill police Chief Eugene Tumolo said Friday. “This was predicated solely on greed and selfishness.”

Beatrice had met Murray while he was serving the rest of his prison service. Their relationship lasted for more than a year. It is unclear how they met.

Patch was unable to obtain the details surrounding Murray arrest in conviction, state Department of Corrections and Community Supervisione records show that he entered the state prison system out of Queens County on June 2, 1978.

Murray was released on parole from the Fishkill Correctional facility on Nov. 8. 2011.

Beatrice Camper and Murray are currently being held in Westchester County Jail without bail for second-degree murder. They are both scheduled to appear in Peekskill city court on Tuesday.


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