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Former inmate oversight board chair pleads guilty to rape

By , Daily Memphian Updated: April 08, 2025 7:09 PM CT | Published: April 08, 2025 11:53 AM CT

The former chair of Tennessee’s Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board and former assistant district attorney pleaded guilty to statutory rape Monday, April 7, court records show. 

Vanessa Murtaugh, 46, was given a four-year diverted sentence, meaning she won’t serve any jail time as long she doesn’t violate the conditions of her diversion. 

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Subscriber Only Vanessa Murtaugh

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Aarron Fleming

Aarron Fleming

Aarron Fleming covers public safety for The Daily Memphian, focusing on crime and the local court system. He earned his bachelor’s in journalism and strategic media from the University of Memphis.

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