No bond for Denby - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

No bond for Denby

Corrie Denby (Source: Lee County Jail) Corrie Denby (Source: Lee County Jail)

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December 21, 2006

Leesburg -- The suspect in a brutal Lee County murder will stay in jail as he awaits trial. Corrie Denby confessed to slitting the throat of a well-known retired Albany realtor.

During a premilinary hearing,  judge denied bond for Denby.   Prosecutors have not announced if they'll ask for the death penalty.   

Corrie Denby was under heavy guard, shackled hand and foot as he was led into the Lee County Courthouse for his preliminary hearing. Nat sot --When asked why he killed Pat Murphy, the confessed killer responed with just a shrug.

The 79-year-old well known retired realtor was found dead in his Lee County home December 6th.

GBI Special Agent Don Davis testified that Denby confessed to smoking crack at the Farfax Motel November 30th, before walking to Murphy's home and attacking him with a steak knife.

Davis said the autopsy report shows Murphy died of blunt trauma to the face and four knife wounds to the throat. Prosecutors said the similarity between this murder and a 1999 attack on a 70-year-old man that Denby was convicted for made them sure he was the killer. D.A. Cecilia Cooper said "He went to the victim's house. An altercation ensued. The victim was stabbed, tied up. Left there, car was stolen. So it sounds like a very similar situation."

GBI Special Agent Davis said Denby led them to a wooded area where he threw away the shirt he was wearing. Investigators found the shirt covered in blood, even with a mark where he wiped blood off the knife.

Denby stole Murphy's car, and threw the knife out the window on Highway 19 in South Lee County. Investigators say Denby sold the car to a drug dealer called "Big Money" for $100 worth of crack.

Murphy's nephew, Mike Gurley, sat in the courtroom during the hearing, and said it's a tragedy that his uncle was killed because of drugs.  "Drugs are a terrible thing, and the root of a lot of evil. There is just no excuse in this mess."

The defense asked Judge James Sizemore for bond, but was denied. The Lee County Grand Jury will be presented Denby's case for indictment in January.

D. A. Cooper said she is leaving all her options open, when asked if she will ask for the death penalty. Denby spent three years in prison for the 1999 assault. He was still on probation when Pat Murphy was killed.

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