– 1 9 6 5 ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁by ▁the ▁other ▁district ▁ 4 ▁jud ges ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁pres iding ▁judge ▁over ▁the ▁court , ▁replacing ▁Paul ▁J . ▁Gar rot to . ▁ ▁Notable ▁cases ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁district ▁court ▁judge , ▁Mur phy ▁occasionally ▁heard ▁capital ▁cases , ▁cases ▁where ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁was ▁an ▁allowed ▁pun ishment . ▁ ▁One ▁prominent ▁example ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁sl ay ing ▁of ▁ 8 6 - year - old ▁Anna ▁Dun ning ▁by ▁William ▁Henry ▁K auff man ▁and ▁Walter ▁Edward ▁Fr ans , ▁who ▁together ▁ple ad ▁guilty ▁and ▁received ▁instead ▁sentences ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁prison . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁O ma ha ▁began ▁its ▁attempt ▁to ▁an nex ▁Mill ard , ▁which ▁quickly ▁es cal ated ▁to ▁a ▁legal ▁battle , ▁which ▁Mur phy ▁o vers aw ▁in ▁the ▁district ▁courts . ▁The ▁case ▁es cal ated , ▁eventually ▁going ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁( which ▁refused ▁the ▁case ), ▁and ▁Mill ard ▁was ▁finally ▁an nex ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 6 , ▁Robert ▁Julian ▁Jacob s ▁( AK A ▁Anthony ▁Ru iz ) ▁st ab bed ▁to ▁death ▁ 1 2 - year - old ▁Allen ▁Schmidt ▁and ▁st ab bed ▁Allen ' s ▁brother ▁Les lie ▁during ▁a ▁sex - related ▁attack . ▁ ▁Mur phy ▁pres ided ▁over ▁the ▁trial ▁in