Murphy Messenger uses a variety of guest and staff writers that contribute greatly to our publication. 
Among the many people who addressed Council concerning the recent sexual predator sting. was Patricia Conradt, the sister of Bill Conradt who committed suicide when police went to his home in Terrell to arrest him for on-line solicitation of a minor.
Ms. Conradt read a prepared statement stating that “nobody from the Murphy Police Department notified next of kin to inform her of her brother’s death. Also she said that Chief Billie Myrick would not return her telephone calls. She alleged that proper procedures were not followed with the list of evidence taken from her brother’s home and that the spokesperson from the Murphy Police Department stated on television, he was glad no one got hurt.”
Click on full story to read Ms. Conradt’s complete statement.
Patricia Conradt Addresses Murphy City Council
Brother’s suicide precipitated by sting
“Mayor. Members of the Murphy City Council. Good afternoon. My name is Patricia Conradt and I am proud to be Bill Conradt’s sister. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you. As city officials, I believe you should know the following facts:
• No one from your city’s law enforcement establishment including Chief Bill Myrick has ever contacted me as next of kin to inform me of my brother’s death.
• Chief Myrick has refused to return telephone calls to me; too bad his refusal to talk did not happen before he became involved with a vigilante group and a pack of reporters who were driven by their desire for sensationalism and the demand for a story by a network deadline.
• Your law enforcement officials did not follow proper procedure and leave an evidence list of what was taken from my brother’s home.
• The spokesperson for the Murphy PD was quoted as saying on television earlier this week that he was glad “no one got hurt.” I wish you could ask my brother to comment on that statement. I know that m family has experienced a great deal of hurt and sadness over this situation.
No matter what decisions you make today or in the future, nothing will bring my brother back to life or to the family and community who mourn his loss. But, you should know that I intend to fight as hard and s long as I can to prevent other people from becoming victims of such reckless actions as those taken by your employees, which were set in motion by a self-appointed group acting as judge, jury and executioner that was encouraged by an out-of-control reality show.
My brother was a successful prosecutor and member of law enforcement for 25 years, and over 500 people attended his memorial service on Thursday. None of you or anyone with Dateline television or Perverted Justice knew about the good things my brother had done or would have done in the future.
I will never consider my brother’s death a suicide. It was an act precipitated by the rush to grab headlines where there was not evidence that there was any emergency other than to line the pockets of an out-of-control group and a TV show pressed for ratings and a deadline.
I ask you to put yourself in my shoes. Neither you nor I really know what the actual facts are. Many time things are not what they seem. What if your brother or child were treated this way?
Simply by issuing these warrants, even if they were later shown to be without justification, ended the career of a life-long law enforcement officer. At that moment, Bill’s career and life as he saw it were over. All of this could have been prevented by a few phone calls to either his boss or other law enforcement officials who knew him well. That didn’t happen because it would not have made any headlines.
The Constitution guarantees that a person is innocent until proven guilty. I want you to think long and hard about what happened in this situation, and ask yourself if that basic Constitutional guarantee was fulfilled.”