Twin Cities Radio: WCCO’s Steve Murphy Attacked, Robbed

Steve Murphy

A well-known voice to many Twin Cities radio listeners was confined to a hospital room for hours after a vicious attack left Newsradio WCCO 830 AM morning news anchor Steve Murphy injured in an early-morning mugging last Thursday (11/07/13).

"I had just jogged down 53rd Street and I could see the headlights behind me," Murphy told MyFox9 News.

"Noticed an older-model white SUV had stopped, driver got out and headed towards me -- then, I knew I was about to robbed, assaulted."

Murphy said he was jogging to catch the bus to work at 2:30 a.m. on Thursday morning just like he always does when he first saw the white SUV pass him about 3 blocks from his home.

"I thought at the time, 'If I see him again, I'm in trouble,'" Murphy explained. "I was."

Murphy's intuition proved correct. The occupants of the SUV certainly were trouble, and Murphy was their target.

"He tackled me from behind, put me in a choke hold and put my arm behind me," Murphy said of his assailant. "Then, to an accomplice I couldn't see, he said, 'Get it! Get it!'"

Murphy said he knew his attackers were after his wallet, so he took it out. The crooks quickly snatched it and moved on.

"They were gone in a flash," Murphy said.

Read More Now

According to the WCCO website, Murphy believes that at least one of three men arrested in Anoka County last Thursday for a similar aggravated robbery is the same person who attacked him.

He has since learned the men used his credit card to pay for fuel at a nearby south Minneapolis gas station. Surveillance video is likely to show that transaction.

Murphy says he recognized one of the men when their mug shots were published in the weekend newspapers. He will be meeting with Minneapolis police investigators in the hopes of finding those responsible for his attack.