BRENT, Ala. (WIAT) – A family is remembering a series of crimes that changed their lives seven years ago.
On the afternoon of July 21, 2015, John Barry Hubbard entered Tammy Murphy’s home and shot Kandi Murphy multiple times, fatally wounding her. Hubbard then kidnapped her sister Tammy Murphy, who was visiting the residence, and took her to Hale County where he sexually assaulted her.
Tammy Murphy says although it has been years since her sister’s violent murder, she and her family are still heartbroken and grieving her death.
“She was a 30-year-old beautiful woman that lots of people loved. I love and miss her every day,” Tammy said. “I will never wake up any day and not think about her and I wish she were still here.”
After a massive police manhunt, Tammy was rescued from a hotel in Greene County. Hubbard was convicted of killing Kandi Murphy and is currently serving a life sentence in Atmore prison after pleading guilty in 2018. Hubbard’s cousin Wade Rowland was also convicted in court in 2019 and is spending 16 years in prison for hindering prosecution.
Tammy says that she relies on her faith in the aftermath of her trauma from the abduction.
“It’s changed my life in so many ways but I can tell you God is good and He brings us through every day if we give Him the glory and live for Him,” Tammy said. “That is the thing, just live for God every day.”
Tammy says she will never get over what happened, but she wants everyone to know what a good person Kandi was.
“I don’t want people to forget her and want everyone to remember Kandi. She loved lots of people,” Tammy said. “When you open Facebook up and you see pictures of my sister, you can remember how kind and sweet she was.”
Kandi Murphy would have turned 37 this year and was survived by three children.