Rapist Convicted In Violent UES Break-In Attack, Prosecutors Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A man has been convicted of breaking into an Upper East Side apartment, raping a 29-year-old woman and fracturing her skull, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.

Donovan Murphy, a Bronx resident, was convicted of first-degree rape, burglary as a sexually motivated felony, and assault, among other counts, on Monday evening, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

The terrifying situation began around 3:40 a.m. on Sept 28, 2024, when Murphy entered an apartment at East 92nd Street and First Avenue, where he attacked a woman, Bragg said.

He stole several bank cards from her wallet and climbed into the woman's bed, Bragg said.

When she awoke and saw a man she did not know, she screamed and fell to the floor from dizziness, at which point Murphy grabbed her from behind and punched her repeatedly in the face, causing a 5-centimeter, muscle-deep laceration to her mouth and fracturing her facial bones, Bragg said.

He choked her before sexually assaulting and raping her, Bragg said. Then, he left and used her bank cards to purchase a taxi ride and items at a pharmacy in the Bronx, Bragg said.

"Donovan Murphy brutally raped a nurse who was just trying to get some sleep between her shifts at the hospital," Bragg said. "A jury found that he broke into her apartment, beat her until he fractured her skull and split open her mouth, and then raped her. "

According to the District Attorney's office, Murphy was also initially charged with following another woman earlier in the evening on the night of the attack, but was acquitted.

Murphy is expected to be sentenced to prison on June 11th, Bragg said.

"I thank the survivor for her fortitude and bravery taking the stand, and the members of the jury for their careful consideration of this case," Bragg said.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.

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