Mystery of teen influencer Alexis Murphy’s murder solved thanks to her social media posts after cops first missed clue
SOCIAL media influencer Alexis Murphy went missing in August of 2013 before her senior year of high school. Her body was finally discovered in December of 2020 thanks to new surveillance clips and uncovered social media activity that were previously missed by law enforcement. On April 3, Oxygen debuted a new true crime series, Final […]
SOCIAL media influencer Alexis Murphy went missing in August of 2013 before her senior year of high school.
Her body was finally discovered in December of 2020 thanks to new surveillance clips and uncovered social media activity that were previously missed by law enforcement.
On April 3, Oxygen debuted a new true crime series, Final Moments, in which investigators and social media sleuths uncover new clues from previously unsolved mysteries.
The show relies on tapping into text messages, social media posts, and all digital interactions with friends and family leading up to victim’s disappearances.
In the show’s two-hour premiere, they took on surveillance footage and tweets from the final hours of Murphy’s life- footage that eventually led to a conviction.
On August 3 of 2013, Murphy’s family alerted authorities of her disappearance when Murphy missed her curfew.
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Murphy had 12,000 Twitter followers, which made investigators nervous after seeing cases of online stalking lead to life threatening situations.
“It’s a breeding ground for predators,” police lieutenant Billy Mays told Oxygen’s Final Moments.
“I think it’s normal for teenagers now. I know my niece and how she was raised,” Murphy’s aunt Trina Murphy told Fox News of her niece’s social media presence.
“Of course, we need to be cautious with social media. We need to be mindful of all the interactions our children have, whether online or in person.
“But in the beginning, everyone thought this was caused by someone on social media. It turned out to be someone right in our backyard.”
Earlier on the morning of her disappearance, Murphy tweeted that she planned to drive to Lynchburg, Virginia for a hair appointment, but she never showed up at the salon.
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Murphy’s family used Find My iPhone to track her location to a 4,800-acre estate in Arrington, Virginia, but a ground search found no sign of Murphy.
Officials also combed Route 29, the route Murphy would have taken to Lynchburg, but again found no leads.
After obtaining Murphy’s phone records, they were able to place her at a gas station in Lovingston, Virginia where security footage showed Murphy alive.
“She didn’t appear to be distressed or distraught or in any kind of danger or scared and she was there alone,” said Mays told Yahoo News.
After calls from tipsters, authorities found the white Nissan that Murphy had been driving abandoned 70 miles from Lynchburg, but with no signs of where Murphy could be.
Eventually, authorities went back to the gas station security footage and noticed that Murphy was talking with a man outside the gas station who attendants were able to identify as 48-year-old Randy Taylor.
They noted that Taylor drove a distinctive camouflage pickup truck.
Footage from security cameras then shows Murphy’s white Nissan following Taylor’s truck down Route 29.
Mays went to Taylor’s home four days after Murphy’s disappearance, and described his house and camper as “something out of a horror movie.”
Taylor claimed that Murphy was with another man at the gas station and they followed him to his trailer to purchase marijuana and then left.
Investigators searched Murphy’s social media for a man that matched Taylor’s description, but finding none, obtained a search warrant for his property.
Inside they found fingernails, hair extensions and a diamond earring that were confirmed to be Murphy’s.
Murphy’s smashed cellphone was also found 70 feet from Taylor’s trailer.
In 2014, Taylor was found guilty of abduction and first-degree murder and will remain in jail for life.
In February of 2021, the remains found at the end of 2020 were confirmed to be Murphy’s.
Mays believes that Murphy followed Taylor to his trailer to purchase marijuana before their exchange turned deadly, but Murphy’s family maintains that they don’t believe that story.
“My niece was beautiful and humble,” Trina told Fox News. “She was physically very beautiful, but she didn’t know that. She was just a kid who spoke to everybody. She had friends in every social group. She loved her family, especially her brothers. She loved doing hair and makeup. She was just your typical teenager.”
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Trina last saw her niece at a cook-out the day before her disappearance.
“I told her I loved her and I would see her later,” Trina said on Final Moments.
“This truly can happen to anyone at any time. It does not discriminate.
“My niece was abducted from a small rural town in Virginia in the middle of the day with daylight still outside.
“I hope young people and their parents watching will be more cautious and more aware of their surroundings.
“Pay close attention to your children. You can never be too careful.”
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