The former chairwoman of a state board that oversees inmate discipline has been charged with two counts of statutory rape.
Vanessa Murtaugh, 46, was indicted by a grand jury on the charges statutory rape by an authority figure and aggravated statutory rape on Feb. 27.
Murtaugh Used Her Position of 'Trust,' 'Power' to Subject the Victim to 'Sexual Penetration'
According to the indictment, the alleged victim was older than 13 and less than 18, and the offense allegedly occurred on January 10 and that Murtaugh used her "legal, professional or occupational status and used such position of trust or power to accomplish the sexual penetration."
Murtaugh was chair of the Tennessee Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board but she resigned from the board on the following day of her indictment. The Tennessee Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board reviews the grant, denial, and removal of inmate sentence credits. It was created in 2023 in response to Cleotha Abston's release from prison in before the murder of Eliza Fletcher in Memphis.
Murtaugh was Also a Former Shelby County District Attorney's Office
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office also confirmed that Murtaugh was a former employee.
"To ensure impartiality, DA Mulroy recused himself from the case involving former employee Vanessa Murtaugh, whose appointment as a prosecutor was terminated in 2022 due to unrelated circumstances. While our office remains dedicated to reviewing all cases fairly and objectively, this decision removes any potential perception of bias that could affect the case," the office said in a statement.
At the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, Murtaugh worked as an a ADA with the DUI Unit, which prosecuted all DUI and vehicular homicide cases in the Criminal Court Divisions. Before joining the DA's Office, she served as Petty Officer 3rd Class in the US Navy from 1999 to 2005.
According to jail records, Murtaugh's $50,000 bond was paid Monday.
