Chattanooga police chief resigns despite state investigation

Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy resigned from her post on Wednesday, according to Mayor Tim Kelly.

Murphy has been under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation since at least May after the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that she made inconsistent statements about her residency on Georgia tax returns and Tennessee election forms.

Executive Chief Harry Sommers, who is in charge of the investigation, will temporarily head the department, Kelly said.

Murphy worked for the Atlanta Police Department for 26 years before taking the top job in Chattanooga in April 2022 after being appointed by Kelly.

The TBI said it is investigating allegations of abuse of authority. On Wednesday, a spokesman said the case is ongoing. Murphy said the investigation relates to her residence.

(READ MORE: Union calls for vacation for Chattanooga police chief)

Public records show that Murphy has listed his primary residence in both Tennessee and Georgia since taking office, which would violate Chattanooga regulations requiring employees to reside in Tennessee.

She was not placed on leave during the TBI investigation, despite requests from department union leaders saying it was consistent with the treatment of officers in similar situations. She has recuse herself from disciplinary hearings during that time, department spokesman Sergeant Victor Miller previously said.

“Mayor Kelly believes that if the city pays an employee, they should work unless the situation does not permit it,” Kelly spokesman Eric Holl previously said in an email.

Murphy was also the subject of an internal investigation that she said she requested. The internal investigation was put on hold while the TBI probe was underway. Local attorney John Harrison was initially asked to take over the internal investigation to avoid conflict within the department, but has since been removed from the investigation, he said by phone Wednesday.

STAY QUESTIONS

Murphy bought a home in Fulton County, Georgia, in 2020, tax records show. She has applied for a property tax exemption on it, a tax break for people who prove the property is their primary residence, from 2021 through the present, records show.

After moving to Chattanooga, Murphy registered to vote in Tennessee, voter records show. Voters must also certify that they are registering at their primary residence.

On the election form, she initially listed a house on Chattanooga’s Southside as her mailing address, but listed a different house on St. Elmo as her residence. The St. Elmo house belongs to the family of a Chattanooga police sergeant who told the Times Free Press that Murphy never lived there. Neighbors of the Southside house said they never saw her there.

About two weeks after the Times Free Press reported on her residency conflict, records showed Murphy updated her voter registration and changed her residence to another apartment on the Southside.

Murphy has stated that she cannot reveal her location for fear of her safety.

“We deal with violent criminals on a regular basis,” Murphy said in a social media post in March. “It is extremely dangerous to reveal where I lay my head, but rest assured, it is the city I serve.”

Contact Ellen Gerst at [email protected] or 423-757-6319.