Former Chattanooga, Tennessee police chief charged with 17 counts in investigation into his residence

Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy speaks to members of the media during a news conference following an early morning shooting at the downtown precinct on 11th Street on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (Tierra Hayes/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WKRN) – The former chief of the Chattanooga Police Department is facing various felony and misdemeanor charges after a weeks-long investigation.

At the request of District Attorney pro tempore D. Michael Dunavant, who was appointed by the court after 11th Judicial District Attorney General Coty Wamp recused himself, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said its agents began investigating Celeste Murphy’s residence in April.

During the investigation, authorities concluded that Murphy “knowingly made false statements on several government documents relating to his residency in Chattanooga, despite having sworn to the truth when he signed the documents.”

According to TBI, the Hamilton County Grand Jury issued a 17-count indictment on Tuesday, June 25. The 56-year-old is charged with one count of illegal voter registration, one count of making false statements on official registration or election documents, three counts of making false statements on government records, three counts of forgery, three counts of perjury and six counts of abuse of office.

News 2’s sister station WTVC reported that Murphy resigned on Wednesday, June 26, amid the TBI investigation.

On Thursday, June 27, Murphy turned herself in to the Hamilton County Jail, where she was arrested and released on a total of $19,000 bail, according to authorities.

“The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely allegations of criminal conduct and not evidence,” the TBI said in a statement Thursday morning. “The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted in a due process of law.”