MovieChat Forums > I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989) Discussion > who was murphy?

who was murphy?

posted 19 years ago by gueragirl
3 replies | jump to latest

i just saw this movie again on tv - wow. it's amazing. i first saw it in 1989 and i never forgot it.

the only thing i didn't really understand was, who was murphy? (parnell's accomplice in the beginning; "uncle murph.") it's never made clear what the relationship is between him and parnell. my guess is that he, too, had been a kidnapped boy who had grown up and was still terrified of parnell.

maybe that was detailed in the film and i missed it? anyway, great movie... i miss seeing corky nemec nowadays.

[–] mcfly-31 19 years ago

In the articles I've been reading over the last hour, Murph is never mentioned oddly enough. I think he was just an accomplice, like the kid Parnell tapped to grab Timmy White. Murphy is mentioned once by a cop that he had been picked up and the bond amount that was set. Steven has the line, "Because Uncle Murph never...", so I don't think he was a perv. I assume accomplice to kidnapping got him as light a sentece as Parnell and maybe he's since reformed.

[–] gueragirl 19 years ago

yeah, i guess he was just an accomplice... he just seemed so terrified, so scared of parnell, and not very happy to be involved, so it seemed like it was a forced situation. anyway. what a horrible story. i've been reading about the whole thing - the carey murders at yosemite, the other parnell victims, steven's death... ugh. the good thing is they were able to get their story out there and hopefully protect others.

p.s. i guess you like back to the future? it's one of my favorite movies of all time!

[–] birdlord 19 years ago

He worked with Parnell in Yosemite National Park and was below average intelligence. Parnell recruited him to help him kidnap a boy (turned out to be Stayner) and bring him back to Yosemite and the cabin in Cathys Valley.