Overview
- Investigators found exchanged letters and a photo of the prisoner in Melissa Murphy’s bedroom, evidencing an inappropriate relationship.
- The alarm was raised when a classroom the pair occupied was discovered locked from the inside and Murphy’s keys had been removed, breaching security rules.
- Murphy was arrested on December 11, 2023, charged via postal requisition on February 12, 2025, and has now pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court.
- Her employment at HMP Chelmsford was terminated following the investigation, and the court will determine her sentence.
- Essex Police said she exploited a vulnerable inmate and credited close work with prison security for building the case.