TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 7, 2025

A former member of the Tennessee Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board pleaded guilty to aggravated statutory rape Monday morning. According to the Commercial Appeal, Vanessa Murtaugh was indicted on one count of statutory rape by an authority figure and one count of aggravated rape. She resigned from her position on the board the next day. If convicted of both counts at trial, she could have faced 10 to 16 years in prison. Instead, under the plea deal, Murtaugh will serve four years of diversion and register as a sex offender.