FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A man was sentenced to more than 50 years in prison after he held a family hostage in their Fort Collins home in 2022.
On Thursday, Rick Edward Murphy was sentenced to 52 years behind bars after he pleaded guilty in September to second-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault and attempted first-degree assault. All are felonies.
This case stemmed from Dec. 12, 2022. On that day, Murphy, who was 44 at the time, attempted to enter the home while one of the residents was in the garage. The woman closed the door, called 911 and took her 8-year-old daughter to go hide in the house. Her husband then went outside to confront Murphy, according to the Eighth Judicial District Attorney's Office.
The two men had some previous interaction, but they were mostly connected through Murphy's brother, the office said, and this is why Murphy had targeted the victims specifically.
"He was not welcome in their home," a spokesperson said.
Murphy, who was armed, forced the husband inside. By this point, the wife, who was hiding, had called 911.
The district attorney's office said Murphy knew the wife and child were upstairs and kicked down the door to the bedroom where they were hiding, all while holding the husband at gunpoint.
Murphy then held the family hostage, according to the district attorney's office.
The Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team and crisis negotiators responded and were able to connect with Murphy.
"He demanded that his brother, who was also known to the victims, be brought to the scene before Mr. Murphy would release the hostages," the district attorney's office said. "The child was released and recovered by officers while Mr. Murphy continued to assault the two homeowners."
Sometime later, he surrendered to law enforcement. Both adults had moderate injuries.
Audio of this whole incident was recorded because the wife stayed on the phone with 911, the district attorney's office said.
Murphy pleaded guilty to the charges against him in September and was sentenced to 52 years in prison on Thursday.
The victim family shared a statement after the sentencing.
“We remain deeply saddened by the events of that day and the impact they have had," the statement reads. "Our hope is that Rick receives the support and rehabilitation he needs during his time in prison. We believe the sentence, along with the reasoning provided by the judge, was fair and appropriate. We would like to commend the DA's office for its excellent work and the many first responders for their amazing response. We are thankful to have so many heroes in our community."
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