Ex-command sergeant major accused of desertion amid CID probe into sex assault

| June 30, 2021

MSG Clinton Murray (pictured when he was a CSM)

Jeff LPH 3 sends in this complex tale. Pictured is then-Command Sergeant Major Clinton Murray, when he was the senior enlisted advisor for the 3rd Squadton, 73rd Cavalry. This is an airborne squadron assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. He was CSM from 31 August, 2016.

CSM Murray didn’t make it very far before running afoul of the UCMJ. Army Times explains;

Murray was a decorated leader, with a Bronze Star Medal for valor and an Army Commendation Medal for valor. The 2017 deployment was his fifth combat tour, according to the ERB.

Eight months into the deployment, Murray came under investigation for alleged inappropriate relationships with two soldiers in his unit.

Following an investigation, Murray faced a slew of charges, including maltreatment of the private first class, a charge of sexually assaulting that same soldier, charges for trying to influence the investigation and a charge of fraternization with an officer.

Army Times does not publish the names of alleged sexual assault victims unless they have chosen to speak publicly. The junior enlisted soldier did not respond to inquiries, and the officer declined to comment.

The charges went to a four-day general court-martial in January 2020.

According to the trial results, the jury convicted Murray of an inappropriate relationship with the private first class, but he was acquitted of the sexual assault and maltreatment charges. Prosecutors withdrew the fraternization charge and the obstruction charges.

Murray was sentenced to a reduction in rank to master sergeant and a formal reprimand.

However, something happened during the trial that now has further sunk Murray into the criminal justice system.

During the trial, though, things took a strange turn: [An] officer approached prosecutors and claimed to have helped Murray destroy evidence of the sexual assault.

Charge sheets stated that “physical and forensic evidence” of alleged sexual misconduct was destroyed, but the documents did not elaborate.

In a sworn statement filed in federal court, Maj. Clifford Walters, the top prosecutor in the 82nd Airborne Division, said the officer “approached the Government and informed the trial team that [they] had personally assisted MSG Murray…in covering up evidence of the sexual assault and inappropriate relationship charges.”

Walters told the judge that the officer said “Murray asked her to destroy evidence supporting the allegations…[and the officer] admitted to having an adulterous relationship with [him].”

The officer told prosecutors that Murray had sexually assaulted her, as well.

The Army launched an investigation into the new allegations, and court records show Murray was notified of the new inquiry in early February 2020.

This has led to new charges;

A former command sergeant major at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, faces a second court-martial on sexual assault charges this October.

And this time, prosecutors say he obstructed justice by asking an officer — who he is now also charged with sexually assaulting — to destroy evidence ahead of his first court-martial, during which he was acquitted of sexually assaulting a private first class.

Clinton Murray, now a master sergeant, also faces desertion charges over a retirement that prosecutors say he obtained by forging paperwork. The faux retirement allowed him to leave the Army despite an ongoing CID investigation that ultimately led to new charges of sexual assault, extortion and fraternization.

Murray was convicted of an inappropriate relationship with the private in his first court-martial, leading to his relief and reduction in rank. But he was acquitted of the far more severe sexual assault charge.

Army Times reviewed publicly available court documents detailing Murray’s career and alleged misconduct. The documents became public when Murray sued the Army for revoking his retirement orders in July 2020, after prosecutors said he forged signatures on his discharge papers. A federal judge dismissed Murray’s suit two months later.

“We look forward to representing our client at his court-martial. He’s pled not guilty,” said John Hafemann, Murray’s lead defense attorney. “We can’t discuss the specifics of the case.”

Murray organized a GoFundMe for himself back in 2020. It was…not a rousing success. Which leads me to believe he might not have been terribly well liked. He got 5% of his goal. 

Category: Army, Blue Falcons, Crime, Dick Stepping, Guest Link

51 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
JTB

After what happened to Eddie Gallagher..Can you even trust the UCMJ…???

Anonymous

On a related note, Bill Cosby’s conviction for having sex with unconscious women overturned:

Sapper3307

So did he get a DD-214?

26Limabeans

Or a pension check?

Anonymous

He will. Creep.

Hack Stone

So, no reserved parking spot at the Commissary? That’s going to leave a mark.

MarineDad61

Hack Stone,
He can still bumpersticker and custom plate his Ram 2500
and grab a Veterans Parking spot at Lowe’s.
So he’s got that going for him.

Jay

Based off the rate he’s moving, he can also get one of those spiffy camo vests vet employees of Lowes wear. Thats about all he’ll be qualified to do once the green machine spits him out.

MarineDad61

Jay,
Based on his new outcome,
he’s more likely to go bullshit badass black leather vest.
You know, like those who end up in POW*MIA chapters.
And then lying about their careers.
And then enabling phonies.

And, according to another phony website,
Georgia is the #1 state for phonies.

Anonymous

He was entrapped. They were out to get him because they didn’t like what he had to say, you know.

Hack Stone

Maybe, maybe not. Former Sergeant Major Of The Army McKinney managed to score a sweet gig in the National Capital Region after his abrupt retirement. Just don’t carpool with him.

https://www.arlnow.com/2010/11/01/man-arrested-in-arlington-was-former-top-army-soldier/

Green Thumb

I remember that dude.

And his brother.

SFC D

1995, I was running a tactical satellite link out of Campbell Barracks. CSM McKinney gets tagged to be SMA. His replacement is… CSM Mckinney, his brother. This PFC gets tasked to swap out the official photos. And he gets them mixed up. Has a meltdown in the hallway, on the verge of tears. Laughed my ass off.

MarineDad61

Hack Stone,
McKinney went violent 9 days before he turned 60,
and spent 10 days in jail.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_McKinney

Hack Stone

And during those ten days, he spent two hours each day picking up cigarette butts. A little bit of extra duty always comes in handy when attitudes need calibration.

MarineDad61

He not only stuck his dick in “NO” (the young enlisted victim),
he stuck his dick in crazy (the not so young female officer adultress).
Then the forgery.
Then the lawsuit.
The definition of Arrogant Prick.

Sapper3307

Think she wanted a Bronze Star, end of tour award?

MarineDad61

Sapper3307,
She wanted a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart,
and all she got was a Purple Nurple.

[1.(slang) The act of taking a person’s nipple between the thumb and forefinger and then twisting it around roughly.]
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/purple_nurple

Ret_25X

the stupid is strong with this one.

First thing you must learn as a Sr NCO…don’t stick your dick in nuthin.

Stay out of the kiddies rooms, stay away from officers, stay out of the clubs, and don’t drink and drive.

In my experience this guy is not all that unusual. Sex, theft, dishonesty…all SOP for many officers and Sr NCOs.

I don’t get it. It’s so stupid.

MarineDad61

Ret_25X,
1st hand experience from Saudi Arabia.

1. NO alcohol for anyone, with heavy warnings of consequences.

2. 1st gift shipment from CONUS (to a female SPC E-4), she was forced to pour her pint flask into the sand in front of morning formation.

3. Weeks later, stash bar found inside the Commander/1SGT tent.
The PFC that peeked under the back flap of the tent
got long term KP/water buffalo/shit burning detail.

4. Also, the HQ section E-7 SNCO that pointed an M-16 (jealousy over pussy), and then (accidentally) fired off a round up through his tent roof (hilarious rain leak afterwards), was never busted, but spent the rest of his tour (and career) head down and quiet.

250 deployed, 225 solid soldiers,
25 were a collection of nitwits, drunks, thieves,
and goldbricks (required babysitting) from top to bottom.

Apparently, 90% reliable and solid is a good ratio.

CRORet

Sure you weren’t in Ramadi? ’04-05? ’cause that sounds awful familiar. And that 10% screwup ratio seemed to be 90% of the daily workload.

MarineDad61

CRORet,
I retired in 2004.
My NG unit went to Iraq, to Ramadi, in 2005/06.
Many came back none too happy.

Roh-Dog

From Wiki, “The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes (the “vital few”).[1] Other names for this principle are the 80/20 rule, the law of the vital few, or the principle of factor sparsity.”

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P! (Proper Pareto Principle Parsing Prevents Piss Poor Performance!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

Poetrooper

At TAH, 20% of the readers write 80% of the comments…😜

KoB

I admit nothin’! Call my lawer! ‘Bout time you showed up, you Old Coot! DaHell ya been, making rather merry, I reckon? Have a Happy One, who’d a thunk it? Quit bogarting and pass me a slab of that Birthday Cake…AND some of that ice cream.

The Stranger

An ice cream cone in each hand is a balanced diet!

Poetrooper

That’s also true for Yuenglings lager…😁

As for the Gun Bunny’s, “who’d a thunk it?” I guarantee if there is an afterlife, there are a whole lotta folks ol’ Poe has outlived, friends, family and enemies alike that are lookin’ at each other, shaking their heads and saying WTF? How did that hell-raisin’, skirt-chasin’, hard-drinkin’, lead-footed asshole manage to outlive us?

Gotta admit, I do indeed wonder myself…😜😜😜😜

Anonymous

Yup, familiar. Dharan, ’97…

KoB

Testify, SarMaj. Some of these dumbasses shorely be thinking with the wrong head…or just not thinking at all. Way to fu@k up what seemed to be an Honorable Career. PTSD from 5 combat deployments made me do it defense appeal coming to a Court Martial Board near you soon. Stayed tuned.

MarineDad61

KoB,
Dickhead certainly found the right law firm.
Might cost him 30% of his pension, though.

[We advise and zealously represent individuals in a variety of federal and military law matters. With leadership and attorneys from each of the military services, we bring our unique experience and tough approach to every case.]
https://www.federallitigation.com/

Anonymous

Trauma demands nookie, of course…

Skippy

Never Dip your pen in company ink

MarineDad61

Skippy,
LOLOL
I remember that line from the old TV show NewsRadio.
First the station owner (Jimmy James) said that. Then he said
“Don’t punch the timeclock with the punch card in your pants.”

You guys… got me on a roll here today.
LOLOL

sgt. vaarkman 27-48thTFW

Never get your meat, where you make your bread

26Limabeans

Even a dog doesn’t shit where it eats.

Skippy

My second Duty station in Germany
My first talk with my Platoon Sargent
Was no incest allow at HQ company
Of 2 SCR aka the old 2 ACR
At Rose Barracks In Vilseck Germany
But he did say if I was dumb enough
I could go over to the RSS

rgr1480

Never take a dip in the secretarial pool.

FuzeVT

All I’ll say is that in my 20 years of being an officer, I never worried about what trouble my Johnson would get me into. It was really quite easy. Don’t consider stepping out on the missus as an option and it doesn’t ever happen – like magic!

Now I did worry that my conservative mouth might get me in trouble, especially in those last few years. (Worries like that weren’t much of a thing when I was in the reserves from 95 – 99.) Fortunately, that never happened.

Jay

Stop making sense. It worked well for me, too. My last 10 years of service, as a SNCO I never had issues with my little head thinking for the big one. I tended to be a pragmatic thinker: 2 minutes of strange isn’t worth a lost pension/lifetime of headache. I tried to pass that advice to my boys as well. Some heeded, some did not.

Anonymous

Trouble– don’t start none, won’t be none.

Jay

Wow, (former) Star Sarge went full potato, didn’t he?

Claw

Yep. Whiz Wheel®™ spin results:

CSM/MSG Clinton Michael Murray (FRPR*) 47×8 = 376

* Full Retard Past Rutabaga (Hat Tip to API®™)

Green Thumb

Moron.

Green Thumb

But I guess I am missing something.

How did he desert?

KoB

Not a lawer (or a JAG, but again, I would serve under LTC Mac), GT, but best I can tell from that CF of a write up, by forging papers he put in for a fraudulent retirement. Then went to the house and didn’t come back. And THAT is what brought on the desertion charge. I’m sure that his next “retirement” will be of the final type. Unless, of course, you consider his next career move may be to a Military Facility that makes gravel out of boulders.

Green Thumb

Thanks.

A Proud Infidel®™

ALL this could have been avoided if he didn’t let his dick think for him!

DUMBASS.

Skippy

Word ^^^^^

Hack Stone

Hack Stone obtained exclusive video of Sergeant Major Murray testifying at his Court Martial.

O-4E

SEA means an E9 (of any branch) in a joint command/director assignment

It usually isn’t used to denote CSMs in Army assignments