Virginia sailor who flew to Houston to kill pregnant girlfriend sentenced to life without parole

HOUSTON — A Virginia sailor, convicted of killing his Houston-area girlfriend after learning she was pregnant, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Marcus Levail Murphy flew to Houston for three hours on Feb. 24, 2015, where he fatally stabbed 28-year-old Ebony Harris before returning home the same day to Virginia, KHOU-TV reported.

According to KTRK-TV, responding officers found Harris dead in her apartment, stabbed in the back and chest. Prosecutors argued at trial that Murphy’s DNA was found underneath the victim’s fingernails.

Meanwhile, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in a statement issued Thursday morning that the pregnant mother of two had told Murphy she was expecting twins and that they were his, although she was impregnated by another man. Murphy already had twins with his girlfriend in Virginia, KHOU reported.

“This poor woman opened the door to her home and thought she would be celebrating a new chapter in her life, but instead the man she loved brutally stabbed her to keep their relationship secret,” Ogg stated, adding, “This was a planned, premeditated and cold-blooded case of domestic violence.”

Murphy, 36, wore his U.S. Navy uniform throughout the weeklong trial, KHOU reported.

According to KTRK, it took the jury one hour and 45 minutes to convict Murphy of Harris’ murder.

Murphy’s defense team plans to file an appeal, the TV station reported

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