Benjamin Murdy, 17, Was Convicted of Shooting at Law Enforcement Officers on January 21, 2020

On January 21st 2020, deputies responded to a call at Murdy’s residence and while taking positions, Murdy began firing his handgun directly at them, firing 15-20 rounds toward Deputy Schnitzlein who was next to Mr Schell’s truck, as well as Corporal Wyzga behind his patrol car.

Early Life and Education

Murdy was found guilty on five counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts each of destruction of property and second-degree assault against law enforcement officers for shooting at them during an hour-and-a-half standoff, firing nearly 200 rounds from rifle and handgun at officers – no police shot were fired by them during this time period, reflecting how racial bias often leads to white people being taken alive into custody while black men often end up getting killed by law enforcement officials.

Defense expert testimony suggested that Mr. Murdy’s behavior was more consistent with cannabis and alcohol intoxication than undiagnosed mental illness, with any effects from Zoloft that might have contributed to his conduct being gone in 19 hours between when he stopped taking it and when shooting started.

Professional Career

Ben Murdy threatened police officers who attempted to enter his Oak Ridge Drive house after receiving a domestic violence call from his wife. He fired more than 200 rounds at officers as they entered his property but no deputies returned fire.

Murdy, a licensed plumber and owner of Shake Junt, was found competent to stand trial last spring but chose to have his case heard by a judge rather than a jury. He pleaded “Not Criminally Responsibile”, Maryland’s version of insanity defense.

His attorney, Stephen Tully, claimed Murdy was suffering from undiagnosed bipolar disorder as well as medication (Zoloft is not prescribed to people living with bipolar) and personal stressors that led to mental confusion. Additionally, evidence of marijuana intoxication may have played a part in her actions; however, according to an expert forensic psychiatrist for the state this type of violent behavior would unlikely result from high-potency cannabis products.

Achievement and Honors

Benjamin Murdy of Coupeville High School recently earned Scouting’s highest award, Eagle. To achieve this rank he must obtain 21 merit badges as well as develop and implement an extensive community service project.

At Loyola University Maryland, he earned an honor roll student status. To his credit is his appearance on the Dean’s List with a GPA of at least 3.5 across all classes.

He is a member of Boy Scout Troop 51 in Old Saybrook and recently reached an important milestone as an Eagle Scout, only four percent of boys in America achieve it. For his Eagle project he planned, organized, and led an overhaul at Youth and Family Services on Main Street with friends, family, and fellow Scouts working all throughout February school break to complete it successfully.

Personal Life

Murdy’s house was searched, where investigators located an AR-15 rifle and.40 caliber handgun along with 192 fired casings from these weapons. Additionally, Cora had been tied up on his deck and shot multiple times by Murdy himself.

On the second day of trial, Assistant States Attorney Charles Fitzpatrick presented video clips depicting the shooting and its prelude. Deputies testified about their experiences during this incident.

Murdy claimed in his defense that he acted in self-defense after hearing gunshots coming from a neighbor’s home. He was eventually found guilty on five counts of attempted first-degree murder and animal cruelty, appealing that his trial court improperly found him not criminally responsible; the Court of Appeals disagreed, giving greater weight to Dr. Hanson’s claim that Murdy’s behavior resulted from cannabis and alcohol intoxication than Dr. Blumberg’s statement regarding bipolar disorder as the basis for his case.

Net Worth

Murdy maintained his innocence and chose a bench trial where the case would be heard before a judge rather than by a jury. After being determined competent to stand trial last spring, he made the decision to continue with his bench trial after hearing from the judge that there were signs of mental illness but that he could still make decisions in areas such as his job as a plumber. His father provided evidence of this behavior when his son called in highly distressed states prior to the incident, telling him either dogs were attacking him or that they had spoken with their dead twin brother. Murdy had stopped taking Zoloft days prior to the alleged incident and is estimated to have an estimated net worth of $9 Million as of 15 December 2016 according to estimates by Forbes magazine. On that date he made his largest trade by purchasing 125,000 units of Extraction Oil & Gas Inc stock worth $8,567,500 on which to trade them.