By Pat Culverhouse

Allegedly choking his girlfriend in the presence of their two small children has landed a Minden man in the parish prison for a pair of domestic abuse charges.

Marshard F. Murphy, a 27-year-old resident of the 200 block of Shane Dr., was charged Friday with domestic abuse by strangulation and domestic abuse with child endangerment, Webster Sheriff Jason Parker said. Murphy is being held under $30,000 bond.

Webster deputies Thomas Deutsch, Cody Dolly and Sgt. Aaron Barnes reportedly took Murphy into custody after interviewing the victim who claimed Murphy had struck her multiple times, shoved her into a wall and onto the floor, then climbed atop her and choked her.

Officers reportedly observed redness on the victim’s neck, bruising on her back and both legs and a cut lip. According to the victim’s testimony to officers, the attacks occurred over a period of approximately five hours at two separate locations in the parish.

After receiving his Miranda rights, the suspect reportedly admitted to officers he had been in a physical altercation with his female companion.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named 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.