A mistrial was declared in the case against Stephen Murphy, a former worker at New Hampshire's youth detention center, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on rape charges. Murphy faces additional charges in separate cases.
A mistrial was declared Wednesday in the case against Stephen Murphy , 55, a former worker at New Hampshire's youth detention center, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether he raped a 14-year-old boy in 1998. This marks the second mistrial connected to abuse allegations at state-run youth facilities in New Hampshire. Jurors indicated an impasse on the second day of deliberations.
Attorney General John Formella’s office expressed disappointment but respect for the legal process and the jurors' deliberation. They remain committed to seeking justice for all victims and holding perpetrators accountable. No decision has been made on whether to retry the case.Murphy faces 15 other charges in separate cases scheduled for trial in April, July, and October, involving three other boys who were at the facility in the 1990s. In the current case, Murphy was charged with aggravated felonious sexual assault and accused of helping to carry a 14-year-old boy to a stairwell at the Youth Development Center in Manchester and then raping him while coworkers restrained the teen. One of the other men, Brad Asbury, was convicted in November of two counts of being an accomplice to aggravated sexual assault and is scheduled to be sentenced January 27. Murphy's arrest, along with another former youth counselor in 2019, brought allegations of widespread abuse at the facility, now called the Sununu Youth Services Center, to public attention. The case centered around allegations from Michael Gilpatrick, who previously testified about the abuse at both Asbury’s criminal trial and a civil trial involving another former youth center resident. He stated he didn't tell anyone what happened at the time because dorm leaders were involved in the assault and spent decades trying to bury his memories. Gilpatrick testified on January 16th that he only came forward after accepting the fact that it wasn't his fault and stopping blaming himself. Defense attorney Charles Keefe emphasized inconsistencies between Gilpatrick’s trial testimony and what he told police in 2020, suggesting he has “made it worse with each telling” in hopes of winning money in a separate civil lawsuit. Keefe argued that the changes in Gilpatrick’s account meant he had forfeited the credibility needed for jurors to believe him. He also contrasted Gilpatrick's angry demeanor during his testimony with Murphy’s calm denials when asked about the abuse.Assistant Attorney General Audriana Mekula countered that Gilpatrick came forward not for money or attention but because it was the right thing to do, even if it meant hours talking about sexual assault in a courtroom filled with Murphy’s friends and relatives. Mekula questioned whether Gilpatrick would willingly relive such a traumatic experience in front of so many people if it hadn't happened. She argued that his emotional distress during testimony did not mean he was lying.This case is part of a larger investigation into the Sununu Youth Services Center involving allegations of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse spanning six decades. A total of 11 men have been arrested, with charges against one dropped due to lack of evidence, another found incompetent to stand trial, and a third dying while awaiting trial. Murphy is the fourth to go to trial. In addition to Asbury and Stanley Watson, who was convicted on January 13th of three counts of aggravated sexual assault against two boys, another case that ended in a hung jury is expected to be retried later this year
NEW HAMPSHIRE YOUTH DETENTION ABUSE TRIAL Mistrial STEPHEN MURPHY SUNUNU YOUTH SERVICES CENTER
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