Texas man awakens from nap to handcuffs 

By Bonnie Culverhouse

Taking a nap on someone else’s property is never a good idea, as a Kilgore, Texas man learned last week.

Murphy Hall, 41, was arrested by Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies Josh McCormick and Jake Winiarski for possession of Sch. II and drug paraphernalia after he was discovered reportedly parked and sleeping between two 18-wheeler trailers at Clement Industries, just south of I-20 on Hwy. 371.

Sheriff Jason Parker said deputies were dispatched to Clement Friday evening in reference to a silver vehicle parked between the trailers.

“As Deputy McCormick approached the vehicle, there was a black male that appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat,” Parker said. “The deputy could see in plain view, a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. There was residue on the passenger side front seat.”

The male, identified as Hall, reportedly awakened and seemed to be confused.

“He was unsure where he was and did not have a reason for being parked at Clement,” said the sheriff. “While the deputy was speaking with him, Hall grabbed a lighter laying directly beside the meth pipe to light a cigarette.”

The sheriff said at that point, Deputy Winiarski arrived on scene to assist and the two deputies placed Hall in handcuffs.

“Hall said the pipe was not his, but he was the only one traveling in the vehicle, and the pipe was laying directly next to his lighter and a bottle of alcohol,” Parker said. “A probable cause search of the vehicle turned up two white pills located in a storage compartment in the dash area. They were identified as Acetaminophen with codeine.”

The sheriff said Hall also denied ownership of the pills. Hall was booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.