Newberry Man Arrested for Stalking After Pattern Of Harassment, Threats

NEWBERRY ‒ A 69-year-old Newberry man with a history of run-ins with law enforcement was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with stalking, following a series of alleged incidents involving threats, harassment and repeated unwanted contact with a former girlfriend, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Murray Edward Sapp was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. on March 21, 2025, while driving in the Jonesville area, deputies said. His arrest follows multiple reports from the victim, who told authorities that Sapp had been following her, showing up at her home and workplace, and contacting her incessantly over the past month.

Deputies were first alerted to the situation in connection with a March 19, 2025, incident, in which Sapp allegedly opened the victim’s car door while she was inside and refused to leave until her employer intervened. The woman reported that Sapp had been leaving flowers and notes on her vehicle, parking outside her apartment at all hours, and appearing at stores she frequents.

According to an incident report, Sapp had previously told the woman he loved her and could not live without her, despite her repeated insistence that they were only friends. The woman told deputies the repeated harassment has severely impacted her mental health and sense of safety.

The stalking charge stems from continued behavior after she explicitly told him to stop contacting her, according to the sheriff’s office.

On March 21, deputies responded to The Crossing at Santa Fe Apartments following a report that Sapp was threatening to commit suicide. When a deputy arrived, Sapp had already left the scene. A neighbor who confronted Sapp at the apartment complex said he declared he would kill himself if he couldn’t be with the victim and added, “Good, maybe this time the law will shoot me,” when told police were being called. He also reportedly said, “If I can’t have her, nobody can.”

Deputies located and arrested Sapp shortly afterward.

Court records show Sapp has two prior felony convictions, one of which was violent, and nine misdemeanor convictions, including one violent offense. He previously served time in state prison, though his release date is not listed. His most recent felony conviction dates back to 1978.

Sapp was also arrested in May 2024 following a four-hour manhunt that led to the lockdown of two Newberry schools. In that case, he was charged with domestic battery, deprivation of communication and resisting an officer without violence. A sheriff’s office K-9 unit located Sapp in a wooded area, where he was bitten after allegedly ignoring repeated commands to surrender. Those charges were dropped in July.

At that time, Judge Susan Miller-Jones initially set bail at $95,000, but Judge William Davis later released Sapp on his own recognizance following a defense motion.

In the current case, Judge Adam Lee has set bail at $100,000.

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