A New York man has been sentenced to 34 years in state prison for breaking into a nurse’s Upper East Side apartment, violently assaulting and raping her while she slept between hospital shifts.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Donovan Murphy, 30, of the Bronx, was sentenced Tuesday after being convicted earlier this year on multiple felony charges stemming from the September 2024 attack.
Victim Woke Up to Find Stranger in Her Bed
Prosecutors said the attack occurred during the early morning hours of Sept. 28, 2024, inside the victim’s apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
During the trial, the nurse testified that she had been sleeping between work shifts when she suddenly woke up around 4 a.m. and found Murphy, a complete stranger, lying in her bed.
She screamed and fell to the floor in shock.
Prosecutors Say Victim Was Beaten Before Sexual Assault
According to testimony presented at trial, Murphy grabbed the woman from behind after she fell.
Prosecutors said he repeatedly punched her in the face, causing a deep cut to her mouth and fracturing her skull before sexually assaulting her.
The violent attack left the victim with serious physical injuries in addition to lasting emotional trauma.
Stole Victim’s Bank Cards After Attack
After leaving the apartment, Murphy allegedly took the victim’s bank cards.
According to prosecutors, he later used the stolen cards to pay for a taxi ride to the Bronx before making purchases at a local pharmacy.
Those transactions became part of the evidence investigators used during the case.
Arrested Four Days Later
The New York Police Department’s Manhattan Special Victims Squad investigated the assault.
Murphy was arrested four days after the attack and remained held without bail at Rikers Island while awaiting trial.
Jury Convicted Him on Multiple Felony Charges
Following an April trial, a Manhattan jury found Murphy guilty of several serious offenses.
His convictions included:
- First-degree rape.
- Burglary.
- Robbery.
- Grand larceny.
The guilty verdict led to Tuesday’s sentencing in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Judge Rejects Request for Shorter Sentence
During the sentencing hearing, Murphy’s attorney from the Legal Aid Society asked the court to impose a significantly shorter prison term of 10 years.
Defense attorney Sean Parmenter argued that 3,650 days in prison was still a substantial punishment.
However, Justice Ann Thompson rejected that request.
According to courtroom reports, the judge responded that while 3,650 days was a long time, the victim would continue living with the consequences of the crime regardless of the sentence imposed.
Justice Thompson ultimately sentenced Murphy to 34 years in state prison.
Additional Penalties After Release
If Murphy is released after serving his prison sentence, he will remain under 20 years of supervised release.
The court also ordered a lifetime restraining order, permanently prohibiting him from contacting or approaching the victim.
Victim Did Not Attend Sentencing
The victim, who originally came from Vermont, has since returned to her home state.
She did not attend the sentencing hearing.
Her identity has not been publicly disclosed.
District Attorney Responds
Following the sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg praised the outcome and acknowledged the lasting impact of the attack on the survivor.
“Today’s sentence holds Donovan Murphy accountable for this horrific attack on a nurse while she was sleeping in her own apartment,” Bragg said in a statement.
He added that although the criminal case has concluded, the survivor’s recovery continues.
“I hope she is able to heal from the lasting physical and emotional impact of this crime,” Bragg said. “We will continue to support survivors of rape and sexual violence and vigorously prosecute these matters.”
The conviction concludes the criminal proceedings against Murphy, who will serve his sentence under the terms imposed by the court.
