Former security guard gets life in prison for beating deaths of 2 assisted living facility residents
BROOKSVILLE, Fla December 7 2018 A former security guard at a Hernando County retirement center will spend the rest of his life behind bars after the beating deaths of two elderly residents.
Brian Murphy received the life sentence as part of a plea deal.
The elderly residents were found severely beaten in March of 2014 and later died from their injuries.
Investigators say the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 12:38 a.m. on March 27, 2014 about a man who was beating up a security guard at the Atria at Evergreen Woods, located at 7030 Evergreen Woods Trail in Brooksville.
The on-duty security guard at the Atria at Evergreen Woods was fighting with the suspect when deputies arrived.
Witnesses told deputies that Brian Christopher Murphy, who is a weekend security guard at the Atria at Evergreen Woods, entered the facility shortly before being spotted by a nurse, who alerted security.
While inside the facility, Murphy entered the rooms of two elderly residents, Miriam Lepp, 88, and Joseph Giambrone, 83, and beat each resident with a blunt object.
Both victims were transported by Hernando County Fire/Rescue to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries. Both victims later died from their injuries.
Deputies say Jonathan Sousa was the security guard on duty at the time of the incident and stopped Murphy. His immediate actions prevented further injury to residents and staff until deputies arrived.
Murphy was initially charged with two counts of Attempted Murder with a Deadly Weapon and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. He was jailed without bond.
The charges were upgraded after the victims died from their injuries.
Murphy pleaded guilty to the following charges as part of the plea deal.
Count 1 – Murder in the First Degree – Premeditated
Count 2 – Murder in the First Degree – Premeditated
Count 3 – Burglary of a Dwelling While Armed – Person 65 or Older
Count 4 – Burglary of a Dwelling w/Assault
Count 5 – Burglary Occupied Structure
Count 6 – Aggravated Assault w/Deadly Weapon
WFLA
