Raytown man allegedly used his machete nicknamed ‘baby girl’ to attack neighbor: police

A 54-year-old man is accused of nearly killing his neighbor with a machete nicknamed “baby girl” after an argument and fight that unfolded late Saturday in his Raytown apartment.

Donald C. Murphy, of Raytown, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in Jackson County Circuit Court, documents filed Sunday show. Under Missouri law, Murphy faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the assault charge and up to 15 years for armed criminal action if convicted.

According to charging documents, officers with the Raytown Police Department were dispatched just before midnight on May 14 to the 7400 block of Overton Avenue on a reported assault. There officers saw a man being treated by paramedics before being transported to Research Medical Center.

The victim told police officers that Murphy had cut him, and Murphy was detained.

As officers were taking him into custody, his daughter walked onto the deck of the apartment and Murphy told her to get “baby girl” — a pet name for his machete, a detective wrote in the court document. Officers saw her come out while holding the blade and asked her to bring the weapon back inside.

During a sweep of Murphy’s apartment, officers noticed blood by the front door and saw the “blood soiled” machete sitting on the living room loveseat. A large amount of blood was also seen outside the victim’s apartment door.

Murphy’s daughter told a Raytown detective that the three of them were outside on the deck and she was sitting by some plants. At one point, the victim allegedly approached her — saying he was going to “check on the plants” — and gave her an unwelcome hug, according to court records.

The action led to an argument between Murphy and the neighbor, she told police. Both men went inside the apartment where there was a short fight, during which Murphy allegedly retrieved his machete and struck the victim. Police observed apparent dried blood on the woman’s legs, feet and hands that apparently came from the neighbor.

During an interview with a police detective, Murphy said he was drinking on the deck with the victim when the argument started. Murphy recalled that he told his neighbor to leave and warned “not to make him bring baby girl out,” the detective wrote in charging papers.

At one point, Murphy alleged the neighbor pushed him over the coffee table and he “lost it.” He then allegedly admitted to retrieving the machete from a closet and striking the neighbor with the blade several times.

Murphy also instructed detectives to review surveillance footage that would offer the best account of what unfolded, according to the court document.

The video footage showed the neighbor attempting to leave through the apartment while carrying two plants. As he was being confronted by Murphy, the document says, he was seen pushing him over a coffee table before falling to the ground. While trying to exit, Murphy is then seen “wildly” swinging the machete, striking his neighbor in the back several times before both go out into the hallway.

Police interviewed the neighbor at Research Medical Center. He accused Murphy of becoming confrontational on other occasions when they drank together and said he was trying to leave the apartment peacefully when he was attacked, according to court records.

The cuts caused severe injuries, according to the document. Several lacerations required stitches and two caused bone fractures.

A detective noted in the charging document that Murphy does not have a significant criminal history.

As of Friday, Murphy was being held in the Jackson County jail on a $100,000 bond. A bond review hearing is scheduled to take place in Jackson County Circuit Court on June 2.