Suspect in fatal Clayton motel fire pleads not guilty

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By Rhonda Cook

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A once-homeless woman pleaded not guilty Friday to capital murder charges stemming from a 2007 motel fire killed five people, four from one family, including two children.

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2007 photo / John Spink, AJC The Budget Inn hotel on Ga. 85 at King Road Riverdale burned in 2007.

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Prosecutors say Sheree "Queen" Dionne Murphy, then a prostitute and a drug user, poured a flammable liquid on pile of mattresses and box springs and set fire to them because she was angry with her drug dealer, who lived at the Budget Inn in Riverdale.

Five people, including two children, died in the June 7, 2007, blaze at the 40-unit motel that police considered a nuisance because of criminal activity. Three others were injured along with seven firefighters.

The prosecution is seeking the death penalty for the deaths of Melvin Jones, 43; his 32-year-old niece, Shakita Jones; Shakita's two children, 12-year-old Devon Butler and 10-year-old Desha Butler; and Shakita Jones' fiance, Freddy Colston, 27.

On Friday, Murphy's sister, daughter, two aunts and a cousin sat just feet from Colston's mother and other family members during the arraignment, at which the 41-year-old woman was formally charged and where she entered her plea of not guilty.

Colston's family declined to comment but Murphy's family members were eager to proclaim her innocence to charges in the allegations in the 24-count indictment.

The sound of metal alerted Murphy's family that she was nearing the courtroom. Wearing waist and ankle chains when she shuffled into a Clayton County courtroom from an adjoining holding cell, her 22-year-old daughter waved her arms over her head and some of the other relatives lifted their hands to get Murphy's attention.

"I hate to see her in that situation. She's not a bad young lady," Murphy's older sister, Carolyn Cain, said after the hearing.

Cain said Murphy, 41, is innocent.

Defense attorney Steven Frey said the charges were brought because it is "easy to pick on someone down on her luck."

Frey conceded that Murphy used drugs, was a prostitute and was homeless at the time of the fire. He said Murphy had lived at the motel at one time.

"Ms. Murphy was living in circumstances that were very unfortunate," Frey said. "She had to do things she was ashamed of to earn a living."