One of Georgia Tann’s partners in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. Murphy runs the orphanage where Tann brings Rill Foss and her siblings along with Trent Turner Sr. (called Stevie) and his sister Sherry. Murphy is also Mr. Riggs’s (the orphanage’s groundskeeper’s) cousin and protects Riggs while he preys on the children in the orphanage, including Camellia Foss. Murphy locks Rill and her siblings in a damp basement instead of allowing them to sleep with the other children on the second floor. After Rill tells a new worker at the orphanage named Miss Dodd about Riggs assaulting Camellia and the other crimes Murphy is committing, Dodd is fired and Murphy locks Rill in the basement alone. For weeks, Rill is only given minimal food and water. Eventually, Murphy brings Rill back upstairs to meet with her and Tann. Murphy and Tann tell Rill that her last remaining sibling, Fern Foss, was adopted. Rill is heartbroken, but determined to take care of Stevie, who has bonded with Rill at the orphanage. A short time later, Murphy makes Rill get dressed up and brings her to a hotel. Murphy tells Rill not to tell anyone and to be good and not cry, leading Rill to believe she is about to be hurt in some way. Instead, Murphy is surprised to discover that the man who asked for Rill, Darren Sevier, wants to adopt her—he has already adopted Fern and wants to adopt Rill now because Fern is inconsolable without her. Sevier takes Rill home and she never sees Murphy or Tann again.