Damien Murphy was sentenced to 32 years in state prison Thursday for the killing of William Carney, according to ABC30 Fresno. Murphy showed no reaction during more than 20 minutes of statements from Carney’s relatives. When given the opportunity to speak, he said he had been protecting his family and would do it again.
“I'd Do It a Million Times”
Murphy was convicted in the October 2023 shooting death of William Carney in central Fresno, according to ABC30. Accounts of the shooting's exact date and location differ: ABC30 previously reported the killing happened on October 17, 2023, at Belmont and Effie in central Fresno, while the Fresno Bee reported Carney was shot to death the night before, on October 16, 2023, near a gas station at Belmont Avenue and Abby Street. In September, Murphy pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, a plea that allowed him to avoid a first-degree murder conviction and secured him a lower sentence than he otherwise could have faced, the station's report noted.
Fresno’s homicide trend
The case came amid a decline in the city’s annual murder count. According to the Fresno Police Department’s 2023 annual report, murders fell from 60 in 2022 to 35 in 2023, a 42% decrease.
As reported by ABC30 Fresno, more than a dozen friends and family members packed the courtroom Thursday to witness what they described as the end of a painful ordeal. Carney was less than a month shy of his 40th birthday when he was killed, and he left behind five children.
A Family's Grief, Laid Bare
Carney’s daughter Essence told the court that her father’s death had taken away milestones she had hoped to share with him, including prom and her wedding. His mother described the continuing effect of her loss, saying, “The joy that used to come naturally has been replaced by grief,” according to ABC30 Fresno.
Carney’s childhood friend Adam said he could not bring himself to hate Murphy. Instead, he said he found peace in believing Murphy would suffer more than Carney had, ABC30 Fresno reported.
No Remorse, No Apology
Murphy did not apologize. He told the court he would do it “a million times,” saying he would not apologize for protecting his family, according to ABC30 Fresno.
The judge urged Murphy to consider Carney and his family during his 32 years in prison. Murphy was denied probation and is due back in court in December for a restitution hearing, ABC30 reported.
