The Northeast Philadelphia man accused of strangling his wife as she jogged in Pennypack Park last August is expected to plead guilty to murder later this month.
During a pretrial conference among attorneys and Common Pleas Court Judge Benjamin Lerner on April 29, Christopher Murray’s public defenders notified the judge that their client may plead guilty at the case’s next court listing on May 26. The prosecutor in the case, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore, told news reporters that under a plea agreement, Murray would be convicted of third-degree murder and be sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. Murray’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 26.
Murray, 49, allegedly strangled Constance “Connie” Murray, 46, on Aug. 4 next to a couple of park benches along Holme Avenue near the Holme-Crispin Cemetery and Crispin Gardens Athletic Club fields. The husband reported his wife missing at about 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 5. A dog-walker found her body at about 6 a.m. The couple’s home on the 2800 block of Tolbut St. was a short distance from the crime scene.
The slaying remained unsolved for days until investigators obtained surveillance video showing the defendant and victim arguing about a block from the murder scene. During a preliminary hearing, a homicide detective testified that Christopher Murray confessed, telling police that he and the victim had argued over his text messaging with another woman. ••
