Defendant allegedly murdered a woman in her home and confessed to police.
Stanhope man is expected to use insanity defense in his upcoming murder trial.SUSSEX -- The man accused of a Green Township woman's murder three years ago is expected to stand trial for the crime later this month, according to a report in the New Jersey Herald.
The trial for Gregg Murphy is expected to begin on Sept. 23 and last four to five days, the newspaper reported.
As previously reported by NJ Advance Media, Murphy, a 57-year-old handyman living in Stanhope, allegedly met with 56-year-old Mariann Ferreira in her Phillips Road home on Dec. 2, 2012 to discuss home improvements after she returned from church. Murphy then allegedly stabbed her multiple times in the back.
Ferreira's body was found in her home by her son, Jared, just hours after the killing. Murphy was arrested later that night at his apartment on Route 206 in Stanhope.
This past February, Murphy, who allegedly confessed to the murder, rejected a plea deal of 30 years in state prison. Murphy, who is facing a life sentence if convicted, is expected to claim insanity as a defense.
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"The sole issue in this case is whether the defendant was insane when he committed this act," First Assistant Sussex County Prosecutor Gregory Mueller has said.
A medical report by a state forensic psychiatrist has concluded Murphy was insane at the time of the killing, Mueller has said. According to his medical records, Murphy spent time in a California psychiatric hospital in the 1980's, authorities said.
If found not guilty by reason by insanity, Murphy would be committed to a state psychiatric hospital and be subject to annual reviews.
Reporting by Joe Moszczynski was used in this article.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
