Convicted drunk driver who killed 12-year-old Wading River Boy Scout and injured three others gets maximum sentence

The Holbrook man convicted of driving while intoxicated and killing 12-year-old Boy Scout Andrew McMorris of Wading River in a motor vehicle crash in Manorville on Sept. 30, 2018, was sentenced today to the maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in prison.

The sentencing came on the two-year anniversary of the crash.

“Today, justice was served,” District Attorney Tim Sini said. “This was a difficult process, but today, justice was served. I want to thank the prosecutors in my office who were so committed to achieving justice in this case as well as the Suffolk County Police Department for their partnership in this investigation and prosecution. Most of all, I want to thank the victims’ loved ones and the community for their support throughout this process,” Sini said.

“While nothing can bring Andrew back, I urge the people of Suffolk County to honor his memory by vowing to never make that selfish, reckless decision to drive drunk. Let that be his legacy: that no other family should ever have to go through this tragedy,” Sini said.

Thomas Murphy, 61, was convicted by a jury on Dec. 18, 2019, of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, a B felony; Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a C felony; Assault in the Second Degree, a D violent felony; Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, an E felony; two counts of Assault in the Third Degree, an A misdemeanor; and Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor.

Murphy was sentenced by Acting Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho.

On Sept. 30, 2018, shortly before 2 p.m., Murphy was leaving Swan Lake Golf Club to drive home after drinking alcohol since approximately 9 a.m., prosecutors said. An investigation revealed that Murphy was approached by a friend in the parking lot who offered to drive Murphy home due to his intoxicated state, but he refused.

Murphy was driving southbound on David Terry Road when his white Mercedes SUV veered toward a group of 12 Boy Scouts and six Scout leaders from Troop 161 who were walking northbound on the shoulder of the roadway.

Murphy struck the group with his vehicle, causing serious physical injury to Thomas Lane of Shoreham, and causing injury to Denis Lane of Shoreham and Kaden Lynch, of Calverton. McMorris, who was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center and then transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition following the crash, succumbed to his injuries on Oct. 1.

Murphy was arrested immediately following the crash by Suffolk County Police Seventh Precinct officers, who observed that Murphy had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, had slurred speech, had watery, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and was unsteady on his feet. Murphy refused a roadside breath test and was transported to the Seventh Precinct, where he refused to submit to a chemical test of his blood.

The District Attorney’s Office secured a warrant for a chemical test of Murphy’s blood that revealed a blood alcohol content level of 0.13 percent approximately four hours after the crash occurred.

Opening statements in the trial occurred on Nov. 12 last year. The jury deliberated for approximately one day before returning a verdict of guilty on all counts.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy Trial Division Chief Brendan Ahern and Assistant District Attorneys Jacob Delauter and Raymond Varuolo, of the Vehicular Crime Bureau, with assistance from Vehicular Crime Bureau Chief Carl Borelli, Appeals & Training Bureau Chief Glenn Green and Assistant District Attorney Timothy Finnerty.