Stephen Wayne Murphy
Stephen Murphy, 63, was held at the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland, where he had told jail staff he had major health issues and had received medical care, and a deputy described him to a detective as respectful and amicable. He died at OHSU Hospital on July 25, 2022. Records show a deputy working alone for the first time did not complete required security checks, and more than an hour passed between the last movement in his cell and the first 911 call. The medical examiner's autopsy found he died of internal bleeding from a ruptured liver tumor, possibly caused by a chest-compression machine, and said the fentanyl in his blood was not enough to cause death, while the sheriff's office classified the death as an overdose; in 2023 Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell said he died of natural causes, a claim that conflicts with the autopsy findings.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (neglect alleged). The medical examiner found fentanyl in his blood was not enough to cause death and attributed it to internal bleeding from a ruptured liver tumor, possibly caused by a chest-compression machine; records show a deputy failed to complete required security checks before he was found.
Reported by: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); medical examiner or coroner.