Liza Murphy

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Bergen County Prosecutors Office Nj (NJ)

Missing From:

Emerson, NJ

Summary:

Liza Murphy disappeared from her home in Emerson, New Jersey on August 19, 2007 after arguing with her husband, leaving behind her purse, cigarettes, cell phone and three children. Cadaver dogs caught her scent near the George Washington Bridge, but the trail went cold, police told the family. Her husband, later revealed to be Irish national Paschal Delahunty living under an assumed identity, remains the primary person of interest in her disappearance.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

After arguing with her husband, Liza Murphy walked out of their home in Emerson, New Jersey, leaving behind her purse, her cigarettes, her cell phone and her three children, her husband told police. Her husband, Joseph, stated they had an argument that afternoon. He accused her of having an affair and demanded a divorce. Liza walked away from the house afterwards, eastbound towards a nearby wooded area, and has never been heard from again. Murphy's friends and family reported her missing the next day. In the days following Liza's disappearance, the Emerson Police Department launched an extensive search operation, enlisting over 200 volunteers and officers to comb through the dense woodlands surrounding Emerson. The search spanned approximately 375 acres of difficult terrain, including areas around Main Street and the Oradell Reservoir. The search team used cadaver dogs, all-terrain vehicles, and aerial support from a police helicopter equipped with a heat-detecting camera, but no sign of Liza was found.

Additional Details:

Deepening the mystery, her husband, Joe Murphy, tried to take his own life a few days after his wife disappeared by walking into oncoming traffic and throwing himself in front of a fire truck, police say. Police said he has been moved from the intensive care unit and is suffering from a broken pelvis, liver damage and facial injuries. Rem pointed out that his client has not been named as a suspect or a person of interest in the case. He said police have not asked to speak to his client recently. Liza herself has a history of prescription drug abuse and was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital for a brief period in 2005 after she threatened suicide. She spent eighteen months in counseling for depression and substance abuse issues. According to her family, Liza Murphy, 42, was not the type of person to take off on her own without letting her family know. "She would never leave her three children behind voluntarily," her mother insisted. "What doesn't make sense is Liza leaving her house without her purse, cell phone, wallet, keys or cigarettes," she added. "She was a heavy smoker, and if she took off after a fight for a walk to cool off, she definitely wouldn't leave without her cigarettes!" In December 2014, seven years after Liza's disappearance, he was charged with possession of a false government document. Authorities had discovered he'd been using a false identity for decades. His real name is Paschal Delahunty. He had illegally entered the United States from Ireland and become a permanent resident in 1990 under the alias Joseph Murphy, using an alias date of birth. Delahunty, a painter, was being held on $350,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail, charged with possession of a false government document, after being arrested at his Broad Street home early this morning. As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, Delahunty must self-deport to Ireland. Meanwhile, he remained held in the Bergen County Jail on $100,000 bail — down from an original $350,000 following his Christmas Eve 2014 arrest on charges of using false documents to renew his driver's license. Delahunty, a 52-year-old father of three, remains the primary person of interest regarding his wife Liza's disappearance in 2007 according to retired Emerson, New Jersey, detective George Buono.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 20, 2026