Wanted Paducah man arrested during traffic stop Wednesday

A Paducah man wanted on contempt of court charges was arrested during a traffic stop Wednesday.

Paducah Police arrested 63-year-old Robert Murphy on an outstanding bench warrant for contempt of court.  

The warrant stemmed from Murphy leaving the courtroom during his trial on May 19th. During that trial, Murphy was found guilty of trafficking in a controlled substance and was determined to be a persistent felony offender.

The jury recommended a sentence of 20 years imprisonment, with a requirement that 10 years be served before parole eligibility.

Murphy left the courthouse claiming a medical emergency. Investigators later determined that he left the hospital without being discharged and failed to return to court. Following that incident, Murphy ceased staying at his known residence.

Officers and detectives located Murphy and he was taken into custody without incident during a traffic stop near Wayne Sullivan Drive and Irvin Cobb Drive.  During the arrest, officers located approximately 3.2 grams of suspected methamphetamine in Murphy’s possession.

Murphy was lodged in the McCracken County Regional Jail.