Millbrook Police Department
For Immediate Release
On April 30, 2024, at approximately 2:58 AM, Millbrook police officers responded to a possible burglary in progress, at a business located in the 4000 block of Highway 14. Upon arrival, officers noted that there was forcible entry of the business. Officers made entry, where they encountered and detained the offender, later identified as Zachary Murray, a 33-year-old Millbrook resident, without incident.
Detectives with the Millbrook Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit responded to the scene, where they collected physical evidence to include burglary tools. Murray was placed under arrest, being charged with Burglary 3rd Degree and Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree. He was transported to the Millbrook Police Department for processing. While conducting their investigation, detectives noted that Murray matched the description of a suspect wanted in connection with the burglary of a business committed the previous week, which was currently being investigated.
On Friday, April 26, 2024, Millbrook police responded to a burglary of a business in the 5000 block of Main Street. Millbrook detective processed the scene, collecting physical evidence in that case.
On April 30, 2024, Millbrook detectives executed a search warrant at Murray’s James Drive residence, where evidence was collected connecting Murray to the April 26th Burglary. As a result of evidence collected during the search warrant, Murray was also additionally charged with Burglary 3rd Degree and Theft of Property 1st Degree. Murray was transported to the Elmore County Jail, where he will be held with no bond pending warrants being obtained and served.
Quote – Chief P.K. Johnson
This is an example of outstanding police work from everyone involved in this case. We received a 911 call this morning from a passer-by, who heard the noise when the alleged offender was forcibly entering the business. Our patrol officers responded promptly, securing the building and quickly apprehending the offender, without incident. The scene was turned over to detectives, who while conducting their investigation, quickly realized that the offender that we had in custody for the burglary that had just occurred, matched the description of the suspect wanted for a similar burglary of a local business committed the previous week.
Based on the evidence on hand, knowledge of the previous burglary, as well as similarities between both offenses, detectives secured a search warrant for the alleged offender’s residence. Upon executing the warrant, our detectives recovered evidence from the suspect’s residence, which connected him to the previous burglary, which was committed April 26th, which resulted in the additional charges against Murray.
Murray was out of jail on bond for previous felony drug charges at the time of his arrest. Our detectives have petitioned the District Attorney’s Office with regard to having his bond revoked due to his arrest on the current charges.
People that commit drug offenses have a propensity to commit property crimes in order to finance their habit, which appears to be the circumstances in this case. That being said, it appears that the alleged offender in this case was engaged in a series of ongoing criminal acts prior to being apprehended this morning. I appreciate our officers’ efforts to take this individual off of our streets and curb these crimes against our local businesses. I also want to say thank you to the young man who called 911 this morning. His quick and decisive actions most certainly helped us apprehend this offender, which allowed us to clear two Burglaries.
***Update***
On April 30, 2024, at approximately 6:00 PM, Millbrook police responded to a report of burglary of a storage building, which is owned by a business at said location. Detectives with the Millbrook Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit responded to conduct an investigation. The business had video surveillance, which captured the offense as it occurred earlier, at approximately 2:22 AM. Upon reviewing the surveillance footage, detectives were able to identify the offender, as Zachary Murray, a 33 year-old Millbrook resident, who was taken into custody during the commission of a burglary near-by earlier the same morning. While reviewing the surveillance footage, detectives were also able to identify an accomplice, later identified as Murray’s girlfriend, Kate Lipscomb, a 34 year-old Millbrook resident, who was observed loading stolen property from the storage unit into their vehicle and leaving the scene with property valued in excess of $7,000.00 belonging to the business.
Detectives were familiar with both individuals, having arrested both following Murray’s arrest pursuant to being apprehended earlier that morning during the commission of a burglary of a near-by business. During that investigation, detectives realized that Murray matched the description of a suspect from a burglary of a business that had occurred the previous week, after which a search warrant for his residence was obtained. During the execution of that search warrant, detectives recovered property taken during a burglary committed by Murray on April 26th. Lipscomb, who was present at the residence, was placed under arrest at that time, being charged for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and later placed in the Elmore County Jail.
Pursuant to their investigation, detectives obtained a second search warrant for the residence of Murray and Lipscomb. Upon execution of the search warrant, detectives were able to identify and recover property taken from the business. As a result, both Murray and Lipscomb, who were still incarcerated at the Elmore County Jail, were additionally charged with Burglary 3rd Degree and Theft of Property 1st Degree.
Zachary Murray remains in custody at the Elmore County Jail under $114,000.00 bond. Kate Lipscomb remains in custody under a $45,000.00 bond.
Quote – Chief P.K. Johnson
It appears that the two alleged offenders in this case were engaged in an ongoing crime spree, prior to Murray being apprehended during the commission of a burglary on the morning of April 30th. From speaking with our detectives, Murray apparently forcibly entered a storage building behind the business, removed the property, with Lipscomb placing the stolen property into their vehicle, which Lipscomb is seen driving away, apparently driving to their residence to offload. Murray left the scene on foot, to the second business near-by, where he would later be taken into custody inside of the business, which he’d forcibly entered.
Having been in contact with both parties earlier, due to the previous burglaries and the initial search warrant, it was just a matter of our detectives securing a second search warrant for alleged offender’s residence and retrieving property that had been observed during the execution of the initial warrant. Detectives noted the property at that time, but had no legal reason to seize or recover, as the burglary and theft of said property had yet to be reported.
As I said after the initial arrest of Mr. Murray, everyone involved in this case is to be commended. From the passer-by that notified 911 upon hearing the glass breakage, the prompt response of the patrol officers, who were able to quickly apprehend the offender without incident, to the detectives following up with their investigation after the alleged offender’s arrest, we’ve been able to clear (3) burglaries and thefts committed at businesses in our City, as well as recover most of the property that was taken by these individuals. Most importantly, we’ve managed to put a halt to their activity by taking them off our streets.
