Pasco woman jailed in plot to kill spouse makes bail

A Pasco woman charged with plotting to kill her husband was released from jail Tuesday on reduced bail after the victim came forward with new allegations that he believes their ex-nanny was giving sedatives to the couple's children.

The nanny is the key witness for prosecutors, who charged Michelle Murdock in July with first-degree conspiracy to murder her husband.

Michelle Murdock, 39, had been held on $1 million bail in the Franklin County jail since her July 23 arrest.

But on Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Vic VanderSchoor agreed with defense lawyer Sal Mendoza Jr. and Prosecutor Steve Lowe that a lower bail was appropriate, given the recent information. He dropped it to $100,000.

Jail officials Tuesday night said that she no longer was in custody. Her trial is set forDec. 15.

A central witness in the domestic drama, Shalena Kae Millward, says her reputation is being attacked for bringing the alleged plot to light and disputes the new claims that she drugged the kids and planned to take them away.

Millward, a licensed nursing assistant, had been the couple's live-in nanny since April and was fired by the victim, John David Murdock, on Sept. 6. She believes Dave Murdock sought a restraining order against her last week to discredit her testimony against his wife in the criminal case.

"I think the whole thing was just a red herring to maybe muddy the waters," she told the Herald on Tuesday.

Millward said she didn't go public with her side of the story for six weeks because her boss had asked her not to, but she told the Herald the circumstances obviously have changed now that she's being labeled the "bad guy" and must defend herself.

"I was trying to abide by their wishes that I not talk to the press, but since I seem to be the target ...," Millward said. "I don't want to be portrayed as anything other than somebody who just got sucked into this whole drama."

"I wouldn't touch their situation with a10-foot pole if I didn't have to. I was required by law to cooperate, and I did cooperate as much as I was legally bound to do so," she added.

In court Tuesday, Mendoza said he was contacted last week by Dave Murdock, who said "that he feels absolutely no threat with regards to Mrs. Murdock and his children."

Dave Murdock, 62, was in court for Tuesday's brief hearing.

Mendoza said in light of Murdock's restraining order petition filed in Franklin County Superior Court, Millward's credibility now is in question.

Michelle Murdock was arrested July 23 by Franklin County sheriff's deputies at her Red Roan Court home after her husband told them he learned his wife was plotting to inject him with a tranquilizer and throw him down the stairs or over a balcony.

Dave Murdock told investigators he learned of the plan from Millward, who said Michelle Murdock asked the woman for help, court documents said.

Millward, 38, of Kennewick, started working for the Murdocks three months before Michelle Murdock's alleged plot was revealed.

Millward had told Dave Murdock and investigators that Michelle Murdock asked if she could get her some "sedative chemicals," documents said.

The Murdocks have a 4-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.

A temporary restraining order is in place against Millward after Dave Murdock claimed in court papers that the nanny had been giving drugs to his children over six weeks and had packed suitcases for the kids with clothes, medicine and toothbrushes. A hearing for a permanent order is set Monday.

The sheriff's office reportedly is looking into the new allegations.

This case has reportedly drawn the interest of Inside Edition on CBS, 20/20 on ABC and Dateline on NBC. The TV shows have not yet reported on the Murdocks but are following the legal proceedings.

Millward said she was astonished last week when one of Dave Murdock's friends served her with the restraining order.

As a nursing assistant registered with the state Department of Health, Millward said she is legally held to a higher standard and did everything by the book on the job, including writing all of the children's medications and dosages in a nanny manual. The boy has autism and takes sedatives at night and the girl has other needs that include taking nightly allergy medications, she said.

As for the packed bags, one of those serves as a gymnastics and preschool bag for the girl and the other contains swim gear and clothes for the boy, who reportedly needs clothing options to help regulate his body temperature throughout the day, she said.

Millward, who is Mormon, claims that Murdock forbade her from going to church after his wife's arrest to avoid questions from fellow parishioners. She decided to go back Sept. 5, which she says ultimately led to her firing the following day and her immediately being kicked out of the family home.

Millward said the alleged murder plot by Michelle Murdock and the recent claims by Dave Murdock have been "incredibly frightening and have catastrophically affected myown life." She said people don't want tohire her even though she considers herselfan upstanding citizen.

"He's accusing me of these heinous things ...," said Millward, who has two children ages 20 and 16, and has spent her career caring for kids and the elderly. "I've lost my credibility. I've lost my life in the process of keeping everything under wraps."

Millward said she never actually got a job with a Tri-City hospital but, as a part of the investigation, pretended to because Michelle Murdock allegedly asked her to get a sedative from the facility. Then, hours before her arrest, Michelle Murdock told the nanny she wanted to carry out the plan "because she was angry with him and wanted to get it over with," according to court documents.

Michelle Murdock was arrested after investigators recorded a conversation between her and the nanny during which Millward allegedly handed Murdock a bottle she believed to be the paralytic drug.

A later search of the family home turned up syringes inside a refrigerator and a list with notes to change address, bank information, copy documents, start moving things, pack and arrange a Mexico trip, documents show.

Lowe said Tuesday that Dave Murdock "no longer fears for his life," and that the victim believes "the third party involved as a witness may have come up with the idea" in the murder plot.

Lowe said he's concerned Michelle Murdock may flee the state if released from jail, and said the state still has evidence "of the defendant's complicity in whatever agreement was made between the defendant and Ms. Millward."

Dave Murdock wants his wife to come back home, said Mendoza. The defense didn't make that specific request in court, adding that she does have a place to stay outside of the family home if she makes bail before the trial.

"It is an impossibility for her to leave this community without those children again who she dearly loves," Mendoza said.

He also told the court that he does not believe this case will be going to trial.

A no-contact order for Michelle Murdock to stay away from her husband and her children still is in place. However, she has been allowed to talk to her kids on the phone.

-- Kristin M. Kraemer: 582-1531; kkraemer@tricityherald.com

This story was originally published September 15, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Pasco woman jailed in plot to kill spouse makes bail."