10 Wednesday, November 12. 1986 / University Daily Kansan Paroled killer says he's converted United Press International ORLANDO, Fla. — Jack "Murph the Surf" Murphy, who played the violin, won a surfing trophy, stole the Star of India sapphire and committed murder, said yesterday he will spend the rest of his days working for God as an incorporated Christian. Murphy, who was paroled Monday after serving 16 years of a double life sentence, appeared at a news conference yesterday. The lanky, 49-year-old one-time beach bum with an IQ of 139 said he had big plans for the rest of his life, but will spend this weekend on a surfboard. "I'll be going on the college lecture circuit to share some of the insights I've gotten in 21 years in jail," Murphy told a news conference about his life of crime and prison terms. Murphy said he will also market his paintings of wildlife and beach scenes. He said he had incorporated himself, and an unnamed board of directors will oversee the operation and decide how much of his income would go to religious causes. Murphy said he would remain in the Orland area and start his own business. "I believe, as God says, that all things pass away and all things become new," he said. But first, Murphy said, he will participate in the National Prison Invasion next month when 30,000 Christian laymen go to 450 prisons to preach. "We'll be saturating the prisons with the voice of Jesus Christ, who will give us a new meaning to life." Murphy was convicted in 1969 and sentenced to life in prison for killing Terry Rae Frank, one of two Californians who killed a fledgling into a South Florida capital. from a dispute over $400,000 in securities the secretaries had stolen from the Los Angeles brokerage house where they worked. Murphy was tried for only one of the killings. He also was sentenced to life plus 20 years for the 1968 attempted robbery of Miami Beach socialite Olive Wofford, who testified Murphy threatened to pour boiling water over her and her 8-year-old niece. Murphy was accused of robbing and pistol-whipping actress Eva Gabor, but she refused to testify and the case was dropped. Asked how he would answer critics who doubted his religious conversion, Murphy said, "I say the same thing that Chuck Colson said when he came out of prison — just watch me. "All we can say to the skeptics is, they didn't believe Jesus Christ either." Colson was convicted in 1973 for his part in the Watergate scandal. As a youngster, Murphy played the violin well enough to appear with the Pittsburgh Symphony, but he came to Florida and won the state surfing championship in the 1950s and opened a surboard company in Brevard County, acquiring his nickname The jewels were recovered, and Murphy spent 21 months in prison. In 1975, Robert Conrad starred as Murphy in a movie titled "Murph the Surf," centering on the jewel theft. His local fame turned to national notoriety in 1964 when, at age 28, he engineered the theft of the priceless, golf ball-size, 563.35-carat Star of Indian sapphire, the DelLong ruby and 22 other precious gems, including the $100,000 Midnight Star sapphire, from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "I've been surfing in the past year. I plan on surfing this weekend," said the gray-haired Murphy, who wore a blue blazer with burgundy pocket kerchief and winked at reporters at his news conference. For the last 23 months Murphy has lived at The Bridge, a halfway house operated by Christian Prison Ministries, and married a Playboy bunny. "It was a day I didn't believe would ever occur," Murphy said of his parole, which became official Monday. "But God had a sense of humor, a style of his own." Under terms of Murphy's parole, he must agree to be searched for drugs at any time, is banned from Dade and Broward counties and must pay $2,500 to a Dade County senior citizens Meals on Wheels program. That amount would have gone for the funeral of his victim but her survivors requested the charitable bequest instead. Officials think flash was meteor shower BLUE RIDGE, Ga. — A bright light that flashed across the Blue Ridge Mountains in four states and vanished with a noise "like a down-under thud" was a meteor or a shower of meteorites, officials said yesterday. United Press International The flash, which streaked across the sky at dusk Monday, touched off a flurry of telephone calls to police in Cincinnati, Tennessee and North Carolina. Deputies searched down dark roads for the wreckage of a plane or a satellite Monday night, but found nothing. "We had reports all the way from Knoxville (Tenn.) and Montgomery (Ala.)," said Jack Barker, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta. He also said, however, that checks showed no planes were reported missing. was meteor or a shower of meteorites," said Bill Collins, director of the Emergency Management Agency of Fannin County where many of the sightings were reported. "It is my understanding that the Air Force has confirmed the sighting as a meteor and basically that's all we know," he said. Defense authorities said the flash An Air Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Chuck Wood of the North American Air Defense in Colorado Springs, Colo., refused to confirm the sighting was a meteorite, but said it could have been a meteor or a meteorite shower. Many of the callers reported seeing an object explode in the air around 5:30 p.m. CST. "We feared it was a radioactive satellite, but after we found it was only a meteorite, it was no big deal," Collins said. "As far as we can determine, it Sammy Patterson, a dispatcher at the Fannin County sheriff's department, said callers reported that the meteor radiated different colors. LaPlante said he sang the theme from "Gilligan's Island," a television show about a group of people stranded on a deserted island, and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzzerald." Songs keep victim alert in boat United Press International located near another planet that was named Tanya after a Soviet girl who was killed during the Nazi German seige of Leningrad during World War II. they left Saturday, but the boat struck a submerged object that disabled the engine. He said the 16-foot boat was in danger of being swamped by the high waves. A companion, Tom Baker, 18, of Walbridge, jumped from the 16-foot boat and swam to Turtle Island while the boat drifted across the mouth of the Maumee River early Sunday morning. "Like Tanya, Samantha lived a short life but shone brightly in it," Chernvkh said. TOLEDO, Ohio — A college freshman said yesterday he kept himself alert while drifting in a disabled boat nearly two days on Lake Erie by singing the theme from "Gilligan's Island" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." "The way I saw it, it was my only chance to get off this uncontrolled boat, so I went for it," said Bowling Green State University. "I had a cup and I kept bailing out the water to keep me awake," he said. "And I was singing." Samantha visited the Soviet Union for two weeks in 1983 at the invitation of former Soviet leader Yuri Andropov. She die $ ^{-4} $ in a plane crash in Maine in 1985. John LaPlante, 18, a student at the University of Toledo, todle ashore on South Bass Island about 4 a.m. Monday after his boat was carried eastward about 40 miles by KANSAN BUSINESS STAFF POSITIONS LaPlant said the two had planned to take only a short ride when Scientist names planet after Samantha Smith MOSCOW - A small planet situated between Mars and Jupiter has been named Samanta Smith in memory of the U.S. girl who visited the Soviet Union in a personal campaign for better U.S.-Soviet relations. Ad Sales Management * National Ad Sales Management * Classified Ad Management - Ad Sales Management Management Application forms are available in rooms 119 (Kansan Business Office) and 200 (journalism School Office) Stauffer-Flint Hall. Completed applications are due in 200 Stauffer-Flint Hall by 5 p.m. Thursday, November 13. If you have any questions, please stop by the Kansan Business Office, 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The University Daily Kansan is now accepting applications for the 1986 Spring semester business staff. These are paid positions but do not require newspaper experience. The Kansan is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Applications are sought from all qualified people regardless of race, religion, color, sex, disability, veteran status, national origin, age, or ancestry. Astronomer Lyudmila Chernynki discovered the planet and chose to name it Samantha Smith, the Soviet Tass news agency reported - Newspaper Production United Press International - Marketing Management The University Daily Kansan The planet Samantha Smith is - Campus Ad Sales For those who can ski all day and/or party all night! $259 $194 without transportation - Deluxe Condos - Hot Tub Happy Hour - Mountainside wine & cheese parties. Meet us Today and Thursday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the For more info call Bill at 841-3856. From the producers of The HIDING PLACE and JONI... Billy Graham "I believe THE PRODIGAL may be the most powerful film ever made to reach people for Christ." "How long I've longed for films of this caliber to be produced—the realism of the story line—the dialogue—the relevancy of the lyrics of the songs—all of it is first class—plus the incredible message" ——Iovce Landorf, Author 'THE PRODIGAL is a profound commentary on our present condition. . . in mirror to which we all see ourselves. It is a Christian film in the best way that we can see and pray it will teach a large audience.' THE -Rev. Donn D. Moomaw Bel Air Presbyterian Church Los Angeles, California PRODIGAL A WORLD WIDE PICTURES RELEASE PG Free Admission Thursday Nov.13,7 p.m. Alderson Auditorium in Kansas Union Your Sunglasses Should Do More Than Just Look Good. Our Sunglasses come with cases, and we custom fit Quality Sunwear and Much More. Same Day/24 hour/48 hour Services The TAX REFORM ACT is law. It's a difficult world in 1987. Sales tax will no longer be deductible. 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