Attorney Says Man Who Broke Quarantine Never Had Measles

BROOKFIELD, WI — An attorney for Jeffrey Murawski, the 57-year-old Brookfield man accused of breaking a measles quarantine says that his client never had the measles, despite being blood tested three times and having deputies guarding his house for three weeks.

"In essence, Murawski was threatened and held captive in his residence for several days without any indication that he had contracted a communicable disease and without exhibiting any symptoms whatsoever," attorney Paul Bucher said. Bucher is representing Murawski in the case.

Authorities say Murawski was charged endangering the public while having a communicable disease after authorities say he broke his measles quarantine in order to get a workout in at a local gym in April 2018.

Bucher said Murawski attended a Bowling tournament in La Crosse between April 14-15 and stayed at a local hotel. Bucher says Waukesha County Public Health officials called him 11 days later, saying that another person staying at the same La Crosse hotel had a case of the measles.

On April 27, Bucher says a public health worker accompanied by two Waukesha County Sheriff's deputies sat down with Murawski in his Brookfield home, and issued him a 21-day in-home quarantine.

Bucher says Murawski agreed to one blood test on April 27, and two more on April 28, only to return inconclusive results.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Waukesha County Murawski was quarantined to his Brookfield home on April 26, 2018 after a doctor said he came down with a case of the measles.

Authorities say Murawski "was going crazy" with being stuck at home. On May 1, 2018, Murawski escaped his home by hiding inside a car being driven by his wife, Christine Bennett. Bennett drove Murawski down to the local gym, according to police reports.

"Murawski did not enter the gymnasium area and, instead, departed and returned to his wife’s vehicle. As a means to set the record straight, we must stress that Murawski, on knowledge and belief, has not, nor has ever, contracted a communicable disease," Bucher said in a written release.

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Facts about the Measles

The criminal complaint stated that Murawski "felt very guilty and sick to his stomach" for breaking his quarantine. It wasn't too much later before an off-duty Waukesha County Sheriff's deputy spotted Murawski walking with a gym bag toward a parked car with Bennett behind the wheel.

Authorities said Murawski began "apologizing profusely" for being out while on quarantine - which was the least-restrictive type of confinement possible.

"At no time was Murawski informed that he tested positive for Measles, nor did he exhibit any symptoms at any time," Bucher said. "Yet, he was verbally instructed by the Public Health officer not to leave his residence for a period of 21 days, and two deputies were stationed both front and behind the Murawski residence 24 hours per day."

Health officials say the Measles is a highly contagious disease that is transferred by touch, or by simply breathing the air near a contaminated person.

“Measles is probably the single most transmissible virus that we have, so you need very high rates of immunization to end an outbreak,” William Schaffner, MD, a professor in the division of infectious diseases and an expert in immunization policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville said in a Web MD report.

In 2018 there were 372 cases of the Measles in the U.S. So far in 2019, there have already been 206 cases, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.

Murawski's due in court on March 25 for his initial appearance, according to court records.