Milestone: Murphy, Clallam County sheriff’s investigator, retires

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, February 4, 2015

On Jan. 15, Sheriff Bill Benedict presented Special Deputy Gary Murphy with a Commendation Award for his 12 years of dedicated volunteer service to the cold case squad of the Sheriff’s Office.

During this period, Murphy was instrumental in creating the cold case squad, establishing policies and procedures for the unit, as well as personally handling many cold cases.

He directly participated in updating the files, including DNA, of eight Clallam County residents who disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

Murphy worked directly on the cold homicide cases of Janet Rowland, Wayne Tricky, Richard Goodman and Norman Bullion. Of particular note was his work in the 1986 Norman Bullion homicide case. Through his tenacious efforts, the body was found and the crime solved. This brought closure to family members and friends who never doubted that he was the victim of foul play.

Murphy donated hundreds of hours of his time, expertise and skills toward making Clallam County a safer and better place to live. The Sheriff’s Office and community extend their heartfelt thanks and appreciation for his selfless service and dedication.