Patricia Murphy

Reporter

Patricia Murphy is an award-winning reporter at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle focusing on military affairs, veterans' issues and criminal justice. She began her career at WBUR Boston in 1994 and has worked at KUOW since 2000.{C}

Patricia's most recent series, “Less than Honorable,” investigated how the military handles more than 3,000 sexual assault cases each year. Her 2011 collaboration with the Seattle Times, “The Weight of War,” looked at heavy loads carried by troops and the increase in chronic orthopedic injuries as a result; the series won a national award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism from the Association of Healthcare Journalists. She also received a national Edward R. Murrow Award for a documentary on IV drug use and has had her work recognized with awards from the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Society of Professional Journalists.

In 2012, Patricia was inducted into the Dart Society, a network of journalists who cover trauma, conflict and social injustice. In a briefing document accidentally sent to her by an Army public affairs officer, Patricia was described as “a professional, no-nonsense reporter who comes to the table fully prepared,” though her colleagues at KUOW might also describe her as the station cut-up.

Patricia holds a BA from Emerson College in Boston.

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Joint Base Lewis-McChord Murder Case
10:25 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Military Judge Orders Sanity Review For Soldier Accused In Massacre

Credit High Desert Warrior

Attorneys for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales say they’re unsure if they’ll pursue a mental health defense in the case. 

But if they do, the judge has ordered that the soldier must undergo a so-called sanity board review.

Bales is accused of murdering 16 Afghan civilians and wounding six others in an overnight rampage last March.

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Suicide Prevention
3:56 pm
Mon December 17, 2012

Military Suicide Prevention Should Include Personal Weapon Disclosure, Retired General Suggests

Credit US Army
General Peter W. Chiarelli, former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, retired

Suicide is now the number one cause of death for US troops. Nationally, more than two-thirds of suicides of active duty troops involve firearms. Most are personal weapons.

Former vice chief of staff for the Army General Peter Chiarelli wants commanders to have the ability to talk to distressed troop members about their private weapons as part of an effort to reverse the trend.

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HIV Prevention
7:25 am
Thu December 13, 2012

Memorial For U-District Needle Exchange Founder

Credit People's Harm Reduction Alliance

A public memorial service is planned Thursday for Bob Quinn. Quinn was a public health maverick. He died last month.

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Indian Health Service
5:27 pm
Mon December 10, 2012

Native American Veterans Get New Access To Local Health Care

American Indian and Alaska Native veterans can now see local Indian Health Service providers for care that is covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Marijuana and Marketing
1:29 pm
Thu November 29, 2012

Seattle Web Entrepreneur's Efforts To Re-Brand Marijuana

Credit courtesy/Leafly.com
Leafly.com has several features, including a color-coded chart that links different marijuana strains to specific diseases and symptoms.

Marijuana has been historically cast as a dangerous drug for outcasts and societal dropouts. But with the passage of I-502, marijuana is going mainstream. A Seattle web entrepreneur is building tools for the masses to bring marijuana – and its users – into the 21st century.

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Military
7:38 am
Mon November 19, 2012

Army's I Corps Role Will Shift To Pacific Rim

Credit Photo courtesy of I Corps
Lt. Gen. Robert Brown, I Corps commander

This month Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta laid out plans for the future of the US military. And as troops return from Afghanistan, that strategy includes shifting security operations to the Pacific Rim. Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) will play a major role in that plan.

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Transportation
6:07 pm
Wed November 14, 2012

Washington State DOT Shows Off 520 Pontoons

Credit Catrena Hampton
State DOT Construction Engineer Jeff Carpenter explains how workers can repair the cracks found in the concrete pontoons for the new 520 floating bridge.

Washington State Department of Transportation officials gave the media a tour Wednesday of pontoons on the State Route 520 floating bridge. The pontoons are part of a massive concrete structure that will keep the new bridge afloat.

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Military
9:45 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Afghan Witnesses Describe Horror At Bales Hearing

Updated: Tuesday, November 12, 1:00 p.m.

Witnesses and survivors recounted a horrific scene following a massacre at two villages in Kandahar Province March 11 that killed 16 civilians and wounded six. They testified via a live video link from Afghanistan during a pretrial hearing for Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.

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Military
11:46 am
Fri November 9, 2012

Reporter Update: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldier Accused Of Massacre

Pre-trial hearings continue this evening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. He’s accused of massacring 16 civilians in Afghanistan, including nine children. Prosecutors say he left his base last March and went on an overnight five-hour killing spree.

The hearings will determine whether the case will advance to court-martial, where the government has said it plans to seek the death penalty. KUOW’s Sara Lerner spoke with Patricia Murphy, who’s covering the hearings.

Military
10:50 am
Fri November 9, 2012

Afghan Witnesses Testimony Next Step In Bales Hearings

Credit Photo courtesy of Maj. Brent Clemmer
Staff Sergeant Robert Bales.

Pretrial hearings for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales continue tonight when Afghan villagers and soldiers are expected to testify by video. The hearings are expected to run into the early morning hours US time.

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