State Fair stage rigging collapse scammer Stephanie Murry given second chance at plea deal

Woman took $2,900 meant for victims

stephanie_murry_1349789605735.jpg

Stephanie Murry

Posted: 11/09/2012
Last Updated: 222 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS - A woman who took money meant for victims of the Indiana State Fair stage rigging collapse is being given a second chance to avoid jail time.

Stephanie Murry, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of forgery after falsifying records and submitting a claim for $2,900 from the Indiana Tort Claim Fund following the Aug. 13, 2011, collapse that killed seven people and injured dozens more.

Murry initially agreed to a sentence of four years, but the deal was voided when she didn't show up at community corrections last month, court officials said.

On Friday, Murry reached another plea deal for a four-year sentence, including three years executed on work release and one year on probation. If she has trouble with the law during that time, she could be sentenced to up to four years in prison.

Murry's aunt, Sandra Hurn, 38, claimed to be an 11-year-old girl who had been trampled by crowds fleeing the collapsed rigging. She was given $7,500 check from the remembrance fund.

Hurn pleaded guilty to forgery and was sentenced to four years, with two years of home detention and two years of probation. Hurn was ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution and complete 80 hours of community service.

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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