Don’t Trust ANYONE!
By: Tommy “Tj” Sotomayor

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – A Muskegon County judge read and rejected the glowing accolades for a former elementary school employee who raped a child, sentencing the “school safety advocate” to at least nine years in prison.

Muskegon County Circuit Judge William Marietti said on Monday, March 9, that if he only read the “multitude” of letters written on Lorenzo Ladale Murray’s behalf, “I’d be giving this defendant an award today.”

But Marietti knew what Murray, 37, did to the girl, who was 12, at Muskegon’s Nelson Elementary School during 2016-17, calling it the “most egregious thing that can possibly happen to a child.”

“The one place a parent should have some confidence in the safety and security of a child is in the school,” Marietti said.

He sentenced Murray to a minimum of nine and maximum of 30 years in prison, sticking to an agreement that resulted in Murray pleading no contest on Jan. 28.

“This one is significant,” Marietti said of the first-degree criminal sexual conduct case. “It impacts so many people. It impacts the child; it impacts her family. It’s going to impact her the rest of her life.”

The victim’s mother addressed Murray in court.

“I don’t even know where to begin because Lorenzo was someone I trusted with my daughter,” she said, her daughter seated next to her. “You started a nightmare and everybody said they’re so glad it’s over, but for me and my daughter – we are just getting started.”

The mom, later breaking into tears, told Murray he took from her daughter something that can never be given back.

“I hate you with a passion for doing my baby wrong,” she said.

The victim told a Muskegon Middle School counselor about the rape, and school officials contacted police in September 2018, authorities said earlier. The allegations against Murray included “at least one sexual penetration act,” Muskegon County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat said earlier.

Among Murray’s responsibilities as a student safety advocate at Nelson Elementary, were supervision of students during “unstructured times” such as before and after school, facilitating student support groups and activities to help them feel “positively connected,” helping monitor student behavior and grades and implementing plans of improvement, and providing support to teachers with “non-compliant” students, according to the school district’s description of the paraprofessional position.

He also served as a basketball coach, according to information the school district shared with parents earlier.

Murray worked at the school through a contract with EduStaff.

In his request for a court-appointed attorney, Murray indicated he was married, lived with his parents and had six dependents.

He previously was charged in 2015, 2016 and 2019 with various driving infractions, including driving without a license he never received, improper plates, driving while his license was suspended or revoked and no proof of insurance, according to Muskegon County District Court records.

In all five cases, he failed to appear for court hearings – twice in one case – and in each instance had a bench warrant issued for his arrest, court documents show.