State’s Attorney Clarifies Dismissal of Firearm Charges Against Terrance Murphy; Firearm Never Recovered

The Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office has officially dismissed charges against Terrance Lee Murphy related to illegal firearm possession, following a review of evidence that cast doubt on the nature of the item in question. The dismissal, which occurred on December 9, 2025, came after Assistant State’s Attorney (ASA) Brock Shriver requested the case be set for a nolle prosequi, essentially a dismissal of charges by the prosecution. The case, State v. Terrance Murphy, had previously been presented to a grand jury and resulted in an indictment on August 27, 2025. After Radio Free Hub City released security footage provided by Hagerstown Police Department without any comment on the video’s contents, and multiple news articles from Tri-State Alert, the State’s Attorney’s Office has issued a statement to clarify the reasoning behind dismissing the charges.

The charges against Murphy stemmed from allegations that he possessed a regulated firearm despite prior criminal convictions that prohibit such ownership. However, ASA Shriver, who presented the case along with Sergeant Steven Lucas of the Hagerstown Police Department, later reviewed additional evidence obtained after Murphy’s arrest. This subsequent evidence suggested that the item Murphy possessed might not qualify as a regulated firearm under Maryland law. Notably, the item which appeared to be a handgun was only observed on video surveillance and was never recovered by authorities.

The same day as the security camera footage, Murphy was pulled over by Hagerstown Police, when Councilmember Erika Bell intervened during the traffic stop according to HPD body camera footage. HPD did not locate any firearm during their preliminary inventory search of the vehicle as they were preparing to have it towed, and eventually it was established that Murphy had a valid drivers license and was allowed to leave. The body cam footage was retrieved as part of a Maryland Public Information Act and Hagerstown Ethics Commission complaint from Maryland Senator Paul Corderman, with Radio Free Hub City filing a duplicate request for the body cam footage. No resolution of the ethics complaint was ever made publicly available. Murphy was never charged with any traffic violation in association with the traffic stop.

After careful consideration of the lack of a firearm recovered for evidence, ASA Shriver concluded that the probable cause for the original charges was undermined. He discussed his concerns with State’s Attorney Regina “Gina” Cirincion, who subsequently supported the decision to dismiss the charges. The State’s Attorney’s Office emphasized that their actions are guided by the high ethical standards expected of prosecutors, which prioritize seeking justice within the bounds of the law rather than simply pursuing convictions.

The ethical framework for prosecutors, as outlined by the American Bar Association according to the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, emphasizes a primary duty to seek justice and uphold public safety, which includes exercising discretion to not pursue charges when appropriate. This involves protecting the innocent, convicting the guilty, and respecting the rights of all individuals involved in the legal process. In this instance, the State’s Attorney’s Office stated that they acted in accordance with these principles, serving justice and upholding their commitment to public safety, even when faced with a difficult decision that might invite criticism. The dismissal of charges means that Terrance Murphy’s case, which had disappeared from Case Search shortly after the nolle prosequi hearing, will not proceed further in the legal system.

Radio Free Hub City has previously requested comment from Councilmember Bell, but no response was ever provided, possibly under attorney recommendation. As such, we respect Bell’s silence and have not asked her for further comment, but will happily publish any statement from Bell should she decide to break her silence. The full announcement from the State’s Attorney’s Office is below.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office.

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