By Shereen Siewert

A 24-year-old Arkansas felon who threatened to kill a Wausau woman and shot at her vehicle will be sentenced in October after reaching a plea deal in the case.

Ladamien Lavontay Murph, who lists a Helena, Ark. permanent address but was living in Wausau for about six weeks prior to the shooting, was charged July 31, 2020 in Marathon County Circuit Court, one day after the shooting. In addition to attempted homicide charges, Murph, who also goes by the name “Damo Murphy,” initially faced charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the case.

On Aug. 31, Circuit Judge Greg Huber agreed to amend the attempted homicide charge to first-degree reckless endangerment as a repeat offender. Murph was convicted of that charge, along with charges of possessing a firearm after being convicted of an out-of-state felony and of false imprisonment.

According to court documents, a Wausau man called police after discovering a bullet hole in his sister’s vehicle at a residence on Bopf Street. When questioned, the vehicle owner told police she knew about the bullet hole but didn’t immediately report the incident amid fear of retaliation.

The woman then told police she met Murph at a Wausau tavern the night before and gave him a ride to a Steuben Street home, along with another man not identified in court documents. On the way to the home, Murph became angry and disrespectful toward the woman, prompting her to pull over and ask the men to exit the vehicle, according to the police report.

But that’s when Murph pulled out a firearm equipped with an extended magazine, pointed it at the woman’s head, threatened to shoot her and ordered her to continue driving.

Police say the woman kept driving and stopped in the 600 block of Steuben Street as directed before Murph allegedly got out of the vehicle, walked to the driver’s side window and continued to threaten the woman with the gun pointed at her head. Eventually, as the woman drove away, scared and crying, Murph shot at the vehicle, according to court documents.

No one was injured.

Murph, who has been jailed on a $750,000 cash bond since his initial appearance in court, will be sentenced Oct. 27.