But the young Niceville college student met with a tragic end back on March 12 of 1973, they said.
Nearly 53 years later, the Sheriff’s Office says the case has been closed by “Death of the Offender.” Dennis Murphy was the sole suspect, a man who a witness claimed he saw with Debra the day she was reported missing.
Murphy, however, died as a result of a traffic crash in Alabama in February 2023. S.O. Senior Investigator Kelly Henderson says the totality of the circumstances combined with the evidence gathered led to the resolution.
Family member Deborah Espey, the victim’s sister-in-law, says “on behalf of the Espey family, we are very happy to finally have some closure on a case involving someone we loved so dearly. We thank the OCSO for the work they have done and wish to thank all the Investigators over the years and everyone who assisted. We stayed committed to updates on the case and are glad this public closure has been made.”
Henderson’s discussion of the case can be found at: https://youtu.be/uDIEBge0vNo