Army veteran Roy Murry arrested for 'killing 3 in-laws and burning down home'

blog

An army veteran and former Washington state senate nominee has been arrested for killing three of his in-laws before burning down their home with the bodies inside, police say.

Roy Murry, 30, faces three counts of murder for the deaths of Terry Canfield, 59, Lisa Canfield, 52, and her 23-year-old son, John Constable. 

The three were found dead on Tuesday inside a home in Colbert, Washington, by firefighters responding to an early morning blaze.

Arrested: Roy Murry, 30, faces three counts of murder for the deaths of his in-laws, who were killed before their house was set on fire

Arrested: Roy Murry, 30, faces three counts of murder for the deaths of his in-laws, who were killed before their house was set on fire

Investigators had determined that the victims had been shot prior to the house being set alight and said they believed the fire was started to cover up evidence of the murders.

Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said Murry voluntarily turned himself in for questioning Saturday, according to KREM.

Detectives executed a search warrant on Murry's car and found a gun and some ammunition, though it is not clear whether it was the same weapon used in the murders, though it is the same caliber.

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share

Murry was married to Lisa Canfield's daughter, Mandy Murry, and police are currently looking to determine whether Murry was waiting for his wife outside the home before committing the murders.

Having served in Iraq, Murry was severely injured in the line of duty, officials said. 

Though he was a one of three possible candidates after a state senator resigned in 2011 over health concerns, City Commissioners appointed another candidate instead.

Distinguished: Victim Terry Canfield, 59, was a 28-year veteran of the Spokane Fire Department, and was remembered by peers for his work and his kind heart

Distinguished: Victim Terry Canfield, 59, was a 28-year veteran of the Spokane Fire Department, and was remembered by peers for his work and his kind heart

Tragedy: Lisa Canfield (left), 52, was found dead in the house, while investigators are looking into questions over whether Roy Murry was waiting for his wife, Mandy Murry (right), to arrive before committing the murders

Tragedy: Lisa Canfield (left), 52, was found dead in the house, while investigators are looking into questions over whether Roy Murry was waiting for his wife, Mandy Murry (right), to arrive before committing the murders

Victims: The couple was remembered fondly by neighbors after news of the horrific rime was revealed

Victims: The couple was remembered fondly by neighbors after news of the horrific rime was revealed

Found dead: Firefighters also found Lisa Canfield's son. John Constable, 23, dead in the house that had been set ablaze

Found dead: Firefighters also found Lisa Canfield's son. John Constable, 23, dead in the house that had been set ablaze

Murry has had several run-ins with law enforcement before. In one incident that occurred while he was being considered for state senator, Murry was found asleep at the wheel of a car in Las Vegas with a semi-automatic weapon tucked in his waistband.

The Spokesman Review reported Murry had two knives, two clips and loose ammunition in his pocket, as well as body armor in the car. He was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon as well as sleeping in public.

At the time, Murry claimed the handgun was being carried openly on his hip. He also said he had pulled his car over because he was lost and drifted to sleep without meaning to.

While firefighters originally found Lisa Canfield and John Constable inside the ruins of the home, it was 15 hours later that the body of Terry Canfield was found in a barn. 

One of the family's dogs, Hank, escaped the fire and ran to a neighbor's home, where he was found by 18-year-old Cherisse Kaleikini.

'After the fire, Hank came running over here covered in soot and rain,' Kaleikini told the Spokesman Review. 'He was scared. He knew something was bad. He was crying, whining.' 

Terry Canfield, who was a 28-year-veteran of the Spokane Fire Department, was grieved by Spokane residents after news of his death.

'He will be remembered as a brilliant paramedic with a very compassionate heart,' Spokane Mayor David Condon said in a statement. 

'He will be missed greatly by his family, friends, colleagues and others who had the good fortune to cross paths with him,' Condon added.

 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWKAcnyUa2twZ3Gnurp51Z6rnqqRo3qivtGeqq2dlGK4qrjLoqWgZaSdv6axjKWYsKtdl8KzusinnmaPkai1qrrGraanZZikuqZ5waibop2jYravv8idnGegpKK5