OJAI : Jury Deliberations Begin in Fraud Trial

A Ventura County Superior Court jury began deliberating Tuesday in the case of David Michael Murray, 32, who is accused of defrauding Ventura County business people of services ranging from motel rooms to dental work.

The jury went home after deliberating briefly after closing arguments by Murray, who acted as his own lawyer, and Deputy Dist. Atty. Charles R. Roberts Sr.

Roberts told the jury that Murray “is a man with a deep-seated feeling of inferiority. He wants to feel superior to people, he wants to get their attention, and he does that by conning them.”

Roberts retraced witnesses’ testimony that Murray conned them into believing at various times that he was a 17-year-old high school student, a movie actor and a marathon bicyclist. “He can’t believe the prosecution’s really going to prove it. And even if the prosecution manages to do it, he hopes he’ll fool at least one of you,” Roberts told jurors.

Murray cited testimony of Dorothy Johnson of Ojai, whom he allegedly defrauded out of room and board. Murray said she described him as not self-centered, but rather “reserved, nonaggressive and tolerant.”

Murray told jurors that many alleged victims testified that they were defrauded by someone with a name different from his, such as Shi Stone, Will Martinson or Matt Bricker--which Roberts said were Murray’s aliases.