A Missouri prison nurse has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after admitting her role in the fatal poisoning of her husband in a case that investigators say was motivated by a relationship with an inmate. Amy Murray, 40, entered an Alford plea to second-degree murder this week in connection with the 2019 death of her husband, Joshua Murray.
Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors likely have enough evidence to secure a conviction. Joshua Murray was found dead in the master bedroom of the couple’s Iberia home, which had been severely damaged by fire.
According to investigators, his death was not caused by the fire. An autopsy revealed he was poisoned with ethylene glycol, a toxic substance commonly found in antifreeze, and had likely died before the fire started. Prosecutors said Amy Murray had deliberately poisoned her husband and then set the house on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime.
The case took a more sinister turn when investigators uncovered evidence that Murray had been involved in a romantic relationship with Eugene Claypool, an inmate at the Jefferson City Correctional Facility, where she worked part-time as a nurse. Authorities described the relationship as ongoing “for some time” prior to Joshua’s death, according to Local NBC affiliate KYTV reported.
The relationship came to light through recorded phone conversations between Murray and Claypool. In one call, Murray reportedly told the inmate that they could be together now because her husband was “out of the picture.” At the time of the murder, Murray claimed she had discovered the house engulfed in flames after returning from a trip to McDonald’s with her 11-year-old son and the family’s two dogs.
She told investigators she had been unable to enter the home due to heavy smoke. However, authorities found a McDonald’s sandwich still sitting on the kitchen counter, casting doubt on her timeline of events. The disturbing case has drawn public attention due to its cold and calculated nature. Prosecutors emphasized that the murder was premeditated and driven by Murray’s desire to start a new life with the inmate.
Miller County Circuit Judge Kenneth Hayden handed down the 12-year sentence following Murray’s plea, which avoids a trial but carries the full weight of a conviction. The case serves as a chilling reminder of how betrayal and manipulation can have deadly consequences, especially when intertwined with illicit relationships and premeditated violence.