LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Four children are safe, found more than 200-miles away after an Amber Alert was issued Friday night in attempt to locate them.
Family and friends gathered Saturday to honor Tabitha Murray’s memory. Murray was found dead on the kitchen floor after Bardstown police responded Robin Drive for a welfare check.
“She's always been the selfless person. A big smile. She's always laughing, and she's never bothered anybody. She's a good person,” Destiny Perkins said.
Perkins and Murray had been best friends since preschool.
Growing up with each other through various stages of life and being there for all the special moments, including Perkins’ upcoming wedding.
"She's supposed to be a part of my wedding and she's not here," she said with emotion.
Police said Richard Gray, who Perkins identified as Murray’s boyfriend, has been charged with her murder.
Perkins said when she received the phone call, she could not bear to look at the crime scene.
“I didn’t want to see the tape. I didn’t want to see her sister standing over there crying. I put my head down,” she recalled.
Police said after Gray killed Murray, he abducted four young boys and drove them to Illinois. According to Perkins, Gray and Murray share a child – one-year-old Adrian.
Murray’s other child was not abducted and is safe in Bardstown. All of the children are with Gray’s family in Illinois.
“He’s a coward – a coward. And he took those babies’ mother’s life. And now what? They have no mom or dad,” she said.
Though Murray won’t be physically there for her wedding day, Perkins said she’s going to make sure she’s still there in spirit.
It’s unclear when Gray will be extradited back to Kentucky to face murder charges. In addition to that charge, he's facing unlawful imprisonment.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
Other stories