Seattle's Mayor Resigns After Five Allegations Of Child Sex-Abuse — Here's How It Unfolded
Tuesday afternoon, Seattle's Mayor Ed Murray resigned after a fifth allegation of child sexual abuse came out against him. The Democrat has served as mayor of Washington's largest city since 2013. His term will end at 5 PM Wednesday per his resignation statement. Here's how the events have unfolded.
1984-2007: Jeff Simpson And Lloyd Anderson Make Initial Accusations
Years before the majority of the allegations surfaced against Murray, two men repeatedly accused Murray of sexual abuse, but they were ignored by the media.
Jeff Simpson and Lloyd Anderson have both accused Murray of abusing them while they were associated with a home for troubled youth that Murray worked at in the 1980s when they were teens. Documents confirm that he worked there and had a foster relationship with Simpson.
Simpson says that Murray repeatedly abused him in his Portland apartment.
Anderson says that Murray gave him money for sex multiple times.
In 1984, Simpson initially told a social worker and detective that he was being raped, but no charges were filed.
In 2007, Simpson attempted to bring a case against Murray, but his attorney dropped out of the case.
In 2008, both men attempted to tell their story to media outlets. Murray aggressively denied the allegations and attempted to discredit the men. No major media outlets reported the allegations.
April, 2017: Delvon Heckard Accuses Murray Of Multiple Counts Of Molestation
In a civil lawsuit that is now withdrawn, Delvon Heckard (46) accused Murray of paying him for sex in 1986 while he was 15 and addicted to crack cocaine. Heckard claims the two met at least 50 times at Murray's Capitol Hill apartment over a four year period:
[T]he plaintiff… alleges he met Murray on a bus in 1986. Murray allegedly propositioned D.H. for private visits to a Capitol Hill apartment and would pay $10 to $20 for sexual acts that continued for an extended period of time, the lawsuit claims.
[KIRO 7]
Murray, who is gay and married, responded by claiming that the accusations were politically motivated:
All I can tell you is it's very peculiar that the allegations come forward when I'm trying to move a significant lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender bill on civil rights; when I'm trying to move domestic partnership for gay and lesbian couples; when I'm trying to pursue marriage; when I'm suing the president of the United States over immigration; and I'm running for re-election.
Despite his withdrawal of his initial suit, Heckard is now suing the city for up to $3 million, claiming that Murray's response to his lawsuit defamed him. The claim says Murray "falsely and defamatorily accused Mr. Heckard, a gay man, of participating in an anti-gay right wing conspiracy along with other victims including Jeff Simpson and Lloyd Anderson."
May 2, 2017: A Fourth Accuser Comes Forward
A 44-year-old man, Maurice Jones, testified in May that he, through introduction by Delvonn Heckard, was given money by Murray in his teens in exchange for sexual acts. Jones says this happened at least twice. He, along with the other accusers, has a criminal record that includes false reporting.
Murray's attorney against responded by denying the allegations:
This is an ambush copycat false accusation that is being made without any details, evidence, timeline or anything at all to substantiate its veracity. Mayor Murray has never had inappropriate relations with any minor, and Mayor Murray has never paid for sex
May 9, 2017: Murray Says He Won't Run For Re-Election
Shortly after the fourth accusation, Murray ended his re-election campaign, saying "The mayor's race must be focused on [the] issues, not on a scandal, which it would be focused on, if I were to remain in… It hurts those who have been victims of abuse. It hurts my family."
Again, he denied the allegations: "The allegations against me are not true, and I say this with all honesty and with the deepest sincerity."
July, 2017: Recovered Records Show Investigators Concluded Murray Molested A Child In 1984
On July 16, The Seattle Times dropped the bombshell that Oregon child-welfare investigators believed Jeff Simpson's initial accusation in 1984 was truthful, and that he should not be re-certified as a foster parent — but that charges were never filed because the prosecutor didn't believe in the viability of the case.
In 1984, Oregon Child Protective Services wrote:
In the professional judgement of this caseworker who has interviewed numerous children of all ages and of all levels of emotional disturbance regarding sexual abuse, Jeff Simpson has been sexually abused by … Edward Murray.
In 1984, the District Attorney dropped the case against Murray, but wrote:
We could not be sure of meeting the high burden of proof in a criminal case — of proof beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty. However, this in no way means that the District Attorney's Office has decided Jeff's allegations are not true.
Previously, Oregon officials said that records of the case didn't exist, but a new computer system was apparently able to locate them in April.
A day after the records were reported, Murray refused to resign, saying "We do not need the sort of abrupt and destabilizing transition that a resignation would create."
September 12, 2017: A Fifth Accuser Comes Forward, And Murray Announces His Early Resignation
Tuesday, Murray's younger cousin Joseph Dyer, came forward in The Seattle Times to add his name to list of accusers.
Joseph Dyer, 54, a dialysis technician and Air Force veteran, says he was 13 when Murray forced him into sex for about a year while the two shared a bedroom in Dyer's mother's home in the Long Island town of Medford, New York.
Again, Murray denied the allegations, saying "I did not sexually abuse any of her children… There's a larger backstory between the Murrays and the Sottiles… There's been numerous fights between our two families."
Hours after the story was published, however, Murray announced his resignation.
