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Trenton Standoff Suspect Has Criminal Past

By Oren Liebermann

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - Gerald Tyrone Murphy's criminal record starts days after his 18th birthday, exactly 11 days after he became an adult in the eyes of the law.

At the time Murphy was living in Philadelphia. He was found guilty of aggravated assault and sentenced to at least two-and-a-half years in prison.

Ten months later, his criminal record grew to include conspiracy and theft charges and in late 1994 he was found guilty of weapons charges.

"It was also determined that Murphy had an extensive record involving violence," Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini, Jr. said. "He has convictions for aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy."

READ: Two Bodies Found After Trenton Hostage Standoff; Suspect Killed

In January 2001, when Murphy was 25 years old, he was convicted of sexual assault in Philadelphia. Murphy was required to register as a Tier III sex offender, a lifetime registration under Megan's Law. Prosecutors say he never registered an address.

"Gerald Tyrone Murphy, also known as "Skip" was found have an arrest warrant out of Pennsylvania for failing to register as a sex offender," Bocchini, Jr. said.

Murphy's criminal record spanned his entire adult life and added to the list is a hostage situation lasting 37 hours on Grand Street in Trenton.

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