| Parents question plea agreement
in murder case
By David Hedges, Publisher
Times Record-Roane County Reporter
A Spencer woman originally indicted for murder was supposed to be sentenced Monday, but Roane Circuit Judge Tom Evans continued the case after the victim's parents raised objections.
Cristal Coon, 24, of Spencer was indicted for murder in connection with the death of 18-year-old Benjamin Murray. She allegedly provided him with methadone, one of three drugs found in his system following his death in March 2004.
Methadone is a prescription drug normally issued in special clinics licensed to treat persons combating addictions to other drugs.
Coon agreed to plead guilty to three other felony charges in exchange for dismissal of the murder charge.
At Monday's hearing Evans said he found a letter on his fax machine Sunday night, when he stopped at his Ripley office after attending church. The letter was from Benjamin Murray's parents, Doug and Shelia Murray. The couple attended Monday's hearing, as they have the other hearings in the past, but did not address the court.
Amid increasing sobs from Coon, and over the objections of her attorney, former Jackson County prosecutor David Moore, Evans said he was not ready to accept the plea agreement.
"I think I know exactly how the victim's family feels," said Evans. "They do not agree with the plea agreement."
The plea was entered in October, and Moore said there was no indication of any dissatisfaction when the victim's impact statement was submitted the following month.
Moore said the letter from the parents contained factual errors, but Evans corrected him when he said Coon had been cleared of any involvement in Murray's death ...
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