A Missouri prison nurse was sentenced to 12 years in prison after poisoning her husband and setting fire to their home in an attempt to conceal evidence.
Amy Murray, 46, entered an Alford plea to second-degree murder, second-degree arson, and tampering with evidence on June 25 as part of a deal with prosecutors to drop the charge of armed criminal action. (An Alford plea allows a defendant to remain innocent while accepting a conviction.)
The judge then sentenced Murray to 12 years in prison for murder, 7 years for arson, and 4 years for tampering with evidence. Murray agreed to serve the arson and tampering sentences consecutively, and both will run concurrently with her murder sentence.
Joshua Murray, 37, died in what police initially believed to be a house fire at the home he shared with his wife and son in Iberia, a city of 700 people located about 150 miles west of St. Louis.
The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide after discovering elevated levels of antifreeze in his system during his autopsy. He also had injuries that suggested he died before the fire, according to a copy of the probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Miller County Sheriff’s Department also discovered evidence that an accelerant was used to start the fire, according to the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Murray had been at the house for only 30 minutes before the fire and then left to get food with the couple’s 11-year-old son and two dogs.
Murray was arrested three months after her husband died, in February 2019.
By that time, investigators had discovered Murray’s frequent contact with Eugene Claypool, an inmate at the Jefferson City Correctional Centre.
Murray worked as a nurse at the facility while Claypool served a 25-year to life sentence for murder, according to prison records.
Because Claypool was incarcerated, the calls between the two were recorded, and prosecutors discovered that Murray frequently mentioned “not wanting to be around her husband.” She even told Claypool that they could marry after her husband died because he was “out of the picture,” according to the affidavit.
Murray posted $750,000 bail shortly after being arrested and fought the charges against her for six years, according to court documents.
She and her defence team even attempted to argue at one point that Joshua may have committed suicide by ingesting the antifreeze, but the judge denied the motion.
In late 2024, a family member of Joshua contacted the court to express their dissatisfaction with the proceedings and to speak about the victim’s integrity and strength of character.
“Josh was a good, faithful husband and father. Josh owned his own construction company for many years and worked hard to support his family,” his aunt Sherry Thompson wrote in a letter obtained by PEOPLE. “Josh was a well-respected member of our community and well-liked.”
Murray is currently housed at the Miller County Correctional Facility while she awaits her prison assignment.
