Gainesville man sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges stemming from botched drug deal

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – William Walter Murphy, 37, has been sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, unlawfully carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting an officer without violence, and the sale, manufacture, and delivery of controlled substances. The Alachua County Jury was presented evidence by the State over a three-day period and deliberated for over three hours.

At about 4:38 a.m. on November 3, 2023, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to a call about a shooting and found a man lying on the ground, face down, outside an apartment at Windsor Terrace Apartments (3520 SW 20th Avenue), with a single gunshot wound to his neck. The victim, Nathaniel Foye, died from the gunshot wound about nine months later.

A witness said he had called Murphy to tell him Foye wanted to buy drugs. Murphy arrived around 40 minutes later, and the witness said Murphy and Foye completed their drug transaction, with the victim receiving crack cocaine for $100, and he heard a gunshot as he was leaving the apartment. The witness said he never saw Murphy holding a gun, but Murphy was the only person around the victim at the time of the gunshot. Murphy later discarded a firearm while running from officers.

Judge James Colaw presided over the trial, received the verdict from the jury, and sentenced Murphy to life in prison on the first-degree homicide charge. Assistant State Attorney Ryan Nagel and Assistant State Attorney Glenn Bryan led the prosecution team.