Murphy Pleas Guilty To Murder
Ethan Murphy, who is accused of killing a man in Wolf Point on Sept. 28, 2025, has changed his plea to guilty as part of a plea agreement in federal court.
The guilty pleas are for second degree murder and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, by pleading guilty the defendant acknowledges that he unlawfully killed John Doe; he killed John Doe with malice aforethought; the defendant is an Indian person; and the killing occurred within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. As part of the agreement, Murphy agreed that he will be detained pending sentencing and will not request a detention hearing.
He agrees to pay restitution to the family of John Doe and John Doe 2 if any is requested. The defendant reserves the right to challenge the restitution amounts. The amount of restitution will be determined prior to or at the sentencing hearing.
The maximum penalty for second degree murder is life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. According to the Wolf Point Police Department, an officer responded to a reported shooting at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28. The shooting took place on Blaine Street at the Albertsons store’s parking lot.
Upon arrival, the police officer found one deceased individual and another person with a gunshot wound. The police officer provided immediate medical assistance to the injured person until emergency medical assistance arrived. The injured person was taken to Trinity Hospital in Wolf Point and later flown to Billings for additional care. Surveillance from Albertsons shows Murphy walking up to John Doe with his gun in hand and that John Doe took out a black machete. Murphy then shot John Doe a single time in the head and shot John Doe 2, who was standing next to Doe. After the shooting, a bystander heard someone say, “it was Ethan, it was Ethan,” referring to the fact that Murphy shot Doe and Doe 2.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigations investigated the scene and collected four 9mm Luger casings bearing the name brand Blazer from the parking lot.
On Sept. 30, 2025, Murphy agreed to turn himself in to law enforcement in Wolf Point. Law enforcement encountered Murphy in the passenger seat of a car. He had a pistol and two magazines in front of him. The items collected were an SCCY Industries 9mm pistol and a total of 11 live rounds of Blazer 9mm Luger ammunition.
