Chase M. Murphy Charged in 7-Armed Robbery Spree

Chase M. Murphy, 19, of Kansas City, Mo., is behind bars after being charged in a violent crime spree that terrorized local businesses over seven weeks in 2019. Federal prosecutors unsealed a three-count criminal complaint Tuesday accusing Murphy of orchestrating and participating in at least seven armed robberies — a string of smash-and-grab attacks targeting fast food joints and convenience stores across the city.

The charges, filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., allege Murphy and an accomplice launched their spree on May 28, 2019, with a brazen robbery of the Taco Bell at 5925 Independence Ave. According to the affidavit, a brick was hurled through the drive-through window, shattering the glass. Murphy and his co-conspirator, both armed with handguns, crawled through the wreckage, pointed guns at two employees’ heads, and demanded cash. They grabbed $300 before fleeing through the same broken window.

That attack marked the first in a wave of armed holdups stretching into July. The complaint details six additional robberies: Burger King at 1102 E. 47th St. on June 18; Family Dollar at 1201 E. Meyer Blvd. on June 25; McDonald’s at 6996 Eastwood Trafficway on June 26; another McDonald’s at 6701 E. Front St. on June 28; and two separate Taco Bell hits — one at 5925 Independence Ave. and another at 4017 Blue Ridge Cutoff — both on July 1, 2019.

The spree ended in chaos on July 12, 2019, when Raytown, Mo., police spotted a suspicious 2003 Ford Escape parked with its lights off. Officers approached, but the driver suddenly turned on the lights, slammed into drive, and rammed toward the patrol car before swerving around it. A high-speed chase ensued until the vehicle slammed into a wall and stopped. Murphy, a passenger, tried to flee on foot but was tackled and arrested. Inside the Escape, cops found two loaded handguns.

Murphy now faces three federal counts: conspiracy to commit armed robbery, the May 28 Taco Bell robbery at gunpoint, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence — each carrying severe mandatory minimum sentences if convicted. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner and investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and Raytown, Mo., Police Department.

The charges are still allegations — not proof of guilt. A federal jury will ultimately decide Murphy’s fate after hearing evidence presented under seal. The case emerged through Operation LeGend, a federal-local task force created in 2020 to combat surging violent crime in Kansas City. The operation is named for 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of that year’s youngest homicide victims.

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