Seattle Settles Lawsuit With Man Who Accused Former Mayor Ed Murray Of Sexual Abuse
BY GIL AEGERTER / KUOW
A lawsuit that shook Seattle and took down its mayor is being settled. The city of Seattle said Saturday that it would pay $150,000 to Delvonn Heckard, one of the five men who accused former Mayor Ed Murray of sexually abusing him.
“With this settlement, the city takes an important step in putting this sad chapter behind us, limiting litigation expenses and allowing Mr. Heckard to move forward with his life,” City Attorney Pete Holmes said in a statement.
Holmes said final documents were being prepared and once completed, Heckard’s lawyers would dismiss the lawsuit against both the city and Murray.
Murray continues to deny the allegations.
Mayor Jenny Durkan, whom Murray endorsed to replace him, called the settlement “the right thing to do” and said “I know this has caused a lot of pain and trauma for Mr. Heckard as well as many survivors.”
Heckard accused Murray of repeatedly raping him in the 1980s. He was one of five men who eventually made similar allegations.
One of the men was a cousin of Murray. Another had been Murray’s foster son.
The accusations have come from:
Delvonn Heckard: He filed a lawsuit accusing Murray of paying him for sex when he was 15 in the 1980s. He withdrew the lawsuit in June, then filed a claim for millions against the city of Seattle. He lives in Kent.
Jeff Simpson: He was in group home for children in the 1980s and says Murray groomed him there, then raped him throughout his teens, from 13 to 17. He attempted unsuccessfully to sue Murray in 2007. He is now married and lives in the Portland area.
Lloyd Anderson: He grew up in the same children’s home with Simpson. He also alleges that Murray paid him for sex. He is now married and lives in Florida.
Maurice Jones: He says Heckard introduced him to Murray.
Joseph Dyer: Murray’s cousin’s son. He claims the abuse happened over the course of a year in the 1970s.
After a long career in the state Legislature, Murray was expected to breeze to a second term as Seattle mayor.
But Heckard’s claim, revealed in April, threw that into doubt. As more allegations came, Murray pulled out of the campaign, but seemed intent on staying through the end of his term.
Dyer’s claims were the final blow.
Murray resigned hours after they were revealed Sept. 12 in a Seattle Times article.
Original story by Gil Aegerter/ KUOW
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