Local officers gather to escort fallen Texas officer to Newdale cemetery

NEWDALE – Law enforcement from multiple agencies showed their respect for a fellow brother-in-blue Saturday as they attended his casket to a final resting place at the Teton-Newdale cemetery.

Christopher David Murray, 31, a native of Murray, Utah, residing in Texas, died on Dec. 1 from complications of rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle disease which causes complications with the kidneys.

Murray had served as a dispatcher for several years before entering the Denton Police Academy. He passed out after completing his final police academy physical training session.

Murray had apparently been toughing through the early symptoms, but on Wednesday, Nov. 16, during his final physical test at the Academy he pushed his body to the limit,” a post on the fundraising site YouCaring.com said.

Frisco Police Chief John Bruce graduated and promoted Murray to an officer while in the hospital.

Following his death, his body has been transported with various police escorts from Texas to Utah and finally into Idaho. Sgt. Keith Putnam flew with Murray from Texas to Salt Lake City on Tuesday and accompanied his friend in a police escort to Newdale.

Murray’s wife and Idaho native Hailey Murray is expecting their second child. The Sugar-Salem High School graduate and her two-year-old daughter have moved back the her hometown of Newdale to be near family.

Local officers from Blackfoot all the way to Fremont County came to show support for their fallen brother and his family at the funeral Saturday. It was an important and solemn duty for local officers to do for Murray and his family. Tara Trane, Hailey’s sister told EastIdahoNews.com some 150 officers attended the funeral.

Madison County Sheriff Sgt. Mike Courtney attended the funeral and then helped block traffic at one of the intersections on U.S. Highway 33. He said when he does this kind of funeral escort for fellow officers, it really hits close to home and is a reminder that at anytime the same thing could happen to himself or his fellow officers. Even though he had never met Murray or his wife, it was still extremely important for Courtney to attend the funeral.

“It’s a way of showing respect for each other as members of law enforcement,” Courtney said. “It’s a family. You go to the funeral and you show that respect for each other because of the sacrifices everyone makes in the profession.”

Officer Mark Distelhorst from the St. Anthony Police Department said his department was approached by a deputy from Fremont County to help with the escort and he felt honored to be able to show his respect for a fellow officer.

“Even though he was a police officer in a different state other than Idaho, police officers still take care of their own no matter what state they work in. It is important to show that love and respect to his wife and kids and his family as well.” Distelhorst said. “It puts it in perspective. What we do every day and the people who care about you that may not know you, but they are still there to give you support.”

At the service, Frisco Police Chief John Bruce presented his wife with a United States flag.