March 30, 2004 6:44 AM

Truth? In a case like this, it often lags far beind the character assassination.

Hall of Famer released on bail; his attorney denies all charges

There are few people in the Houston sporting pantheon more recognizable than Calvin Murphy- he of the irrepressible enthusiasm and the "Pimps 'R' Us" suits. Over the years he has parlayed a Hall of Fame career with the Rockets into a job with the team, a successful charitable foundation, and the love and admiration of most Houstonians. In January, Murphy was named as one of Houston's 38 Greatest Athletes.

We are waking up this morning to find out that Murphy may well have had a darker side. Is this true? Sadly, Murphy's guilt or innocence may ultimately prove to be beside the point.

Hall of Fame basketball player and Houston icon Calvin Murphy was charged Monday with sexually molesting five of his daughters more than a decade ago.

Murphy, a television commentator for the Rockets, surrendered to authorities after being charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and three counts of indecency with a child, said Lance Long, a Harris County assistant district attorney.

The charges involve five grown daughters who said Murphy sexually abused them between 1988 and 1991, when they were under 17, according to an affidavit by the Texas Rangers.

Murphy surrendered at a Harris County jail Monday night and later was released after posting $90,000 bail.

Murphy, the Houston Rockets No. 2 all-time leading scorer, had no comment when he surrendered. But at a hastily assembled news conference Monday night, his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said Murphy is not guilty.

"He adamantly denies the charges," Hardin said. "We've investigated these charges for a couple weeks and we are just as convinced it did not happen as the district attorney's office is that it did."

Hardin said Murphy is "absolutely devastated" by the allegations because "he spent his whole life in the public arena and he knows people are going to assume it's true." Hardin said he wished the charges had been presented to a grand jury.

Hardin said the allegations are an attempt to get back at Murphy because he wouldn't give the women money. He said that three daughters wanted retirement money their mother left to Murphy after she died in a car accident. Hardin also said that because of past financial troubles Murphy doesn't have the financial means people assume he has.

Those of us who tuned into the broadcast of the Rockets' game against Minnesota last night were treated to announcer Bill Worrell introducing former Rocket Matt Bullard, who will be sitting in for Murphy "while he takes a leave of absence". I can't imagine that this sort of thing is easy for anyone in the Rockets organization to deal with.

Of course, we cannot begin to know the truth at this point, and Murphy's lawyer may well have hit the nail on the head. This may, in the end, be all about the money- of which Murphy apparently doesn't have nearly as much as one might think. Being a former professional athlete is, apparently, no guarantee of continued financial success. These allegations do set me to wondering, though. If these incidents allegedly occurred between 1988 and 1991, why are they coming out now? Here we are, 13-16 years later, when his daughters are now adults, and NOW these charges are levelled? I'm not saying that this is indicative of anything, but any thinking person would have to wonder what the underlying theme is here. And how is it that these incidents, if in fact they did occur, were kept under wraps for so long?

If the charges are true, then Murphy is a monster, and the passage of time cannot be considered a mitigating factor. This is a man who spends a great deal of his time working with children through his foundation and the Houston Rockets organization. If Murphy does have a history of child sexual abuse, he should removed from any and all of these activites. He would also deserve a LONG stretch in prison- go directly to jail, do not pass "Go", do not collect $200....

If what Murphy is accused of is ultimately unproven, it will in some respects not even really matter. There are those who will remember the charges being levelled in large block letter on the front page of the Houston Chronicle- and that is ALL they will remember. When the acquittal comes down, it will likely receive much less splashy coverage, and many folks simply won't be paying attention (or worse, won't care). Ergo, Calvin Murphy will always be a child molester in a large segment of the Houston community- even if it this ultimately turns out not to be true.

Imagine having your name cleared, and still having parents shoo their children away from you in the grocery store. Being found not guilty hardly equates to being viewed as innocent by the general public- particularly when one is accused of being a child molester. Regardless of what happens from here on, Calvin Murphy will always be wearing a Scarlet Letter. By comparison, Hester Prynne had it easy.

In the end, Murphy's life and career will never be the same, regardless of the outcome of this investigation. It's a lose/lose situation. I suppose all we can do now is to wait for the Harris County DA to grind through the process. It will be interesting (and perhaps quite disturbing) to see what comes out the other end.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 30, 2004 6:44 AM.

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