Gunman, Widow Convicted of Murdering Husband for the Insurance Money

The murderers of Terry Camper, a Peekskill 'taxi' driver, have been convicted in the case that shocked the city when he was found dead in his car on a city street in October, 2012.

Locals mourned Camper, a well-known and respected resident, and were shocked when his wife was arrested shortly afterward for conspiring with a prison inmate to kill Camper.

She had taken out insurance policies on him the month before, with herself as beneficiary. The gunman had lured Camper to the scene of the shooting by calling Camper's extra-legal car service for a ride.

Here's the text of the District Attorney's announcement April 17: 

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that John Murray (DOB 02/12/52) of 180 Liberty Street, Newburgh, New York, was convicted today after a jury trial of all counts in the indictment charging him with:

• one count of Murder in the First Degree, a class “A-1” Felony,
• one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony,
 
in connection with the murder of Terry Camper.

Co-conspirator Beatrice Camper (DOB 01/27/52) of 1101 Brown Street, Peekskill, New York pled guilty on February 20th, 2014 to:

• one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A-1” Felony,
and will be sentenced on June 17th, 2014.

On October 3, 2012 at approximately 2:10 p.m., a postal worker observed a grey Mercury Marquis parked in the area of 118 Pine Street facing the wrong direction. She observed the driver was not moving and called 911. On arrival first responders immediately recognized the driver as Terry Camper, known to them as a local “taxi” driver. 

First responders observed that Terry Camper had blood dripping from the left side of his head behind his ear by his neck area. Camper was transported to Hudson Valley Hospital Center where he was pronounced dead at 3:05 p.m.

Peekskill police initiated a wide ranging investigation. Numerous interviews were conducted along with extensive forensic analysis.

Terry Camper’s wife Beatrice Camper was interviewed by detectives on October 4th.

Based on various sources and information, on October 4, 2012 members of Peekskill Police Department set-up surveillance on John Murray’s home and he was taken into custody in the area of Ann Street and Clark Street in Newburgh.

Search warrants were executed at the residences of both Murray and Camper.

While Murray was in state prison awaiting parole for a two unrelated murders committed in 1977, he began to plan the murder the victim, Terry Camper, his co-conspirator’s husband. 

Murray utilized the prison telephones to gather information on his intended victim. Throughout his planning, he and Beatrice Camper had numerous telephone conversations.

“An ongoing affair between a prison inmate and the scheming wife of the deceased culminated in a plan to collect her husband’s life insurance money. Their scheme ultimately unraveled leaving a decent hard working man murdered and the defendant now facing the rest of his life in 
prison,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore.

Sentencing will be on June 10th, 2014.

He faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison without parole.
Assistant District Attorneys Laura Murphy and Kerrie Williams of the Homicide Bureau are prosecuting the case.