BOISE -- One of the Treasure Valley's most horrific and gruesome crimes happened 10 years ago today. A man beheaded his wife in Nampa, took off in his pickup truck with her head, and in an attempt to commit suicide intentionally ran his truck into a car in Boise.
Boise police found the decapitated head in the middle of Franklin Road, just a few feet from where Alofa Time's pickup slammed head-on into a car. Inside the car, a 36-year-old mom and her two young daughters. The impact instantly killed the mother and her 4-year-old girl.
The shock factor of a severed head found during the car crash investigation had our community and the nation talking, while the emotional tragedy of 8-year-old Sydnee Murphy losing her mother and little sister left our hearts heavy.
For the first time since the crash, Sydnee is sharing her story about that day, about her triumph over tragedy.
Outside with her horses, Indie and Choctaw, is where Sydnee likes to spend most of her day, along with her two dogs, Sterling and Hope, and her cow Levi. It's a crowded corral, but being with her animals brings Sydnee comfort, especially her dog Hope, who she got shortly after losing her mom and little sister.
"She (Hope) has just been there through like everything," said Sydnee.
The car crash happened 10 years ago today, on June 15, 2006.
"I remember it was just an ordinary day," said Sydnee.
Eight-year-old Sydnee, her 36-year-old mother, Samantha Murphy, and 4-year-old sister, Jaelynne Grimes, were on their way to day care.
"I was sitting in the front seat. We were driving, listening to the radio, talking, laughing," said Sydnee.
And then in a second her life, forever changed.
"I looked over ... and saw that my mom was gone. It was really vivid in my picture. She had a tear, it was blood on her chin, not her chin, but her cheek. And then I looked behind and saw my sister," said Sydnee.
Sydnee's mom and sister were killed by the impact.
"I started screaming. And finally some man came and got the door opened because it was jammed," said Murphy.
Boise police officer Alan Cavener was one of the first to respond. While other officers were helping Sydnee, Cavener made a gruesome discovery.
"When I pulled up here on Franklin at the crime scene, I saw that there was a head on the road there," said Cavener. "Originally I thought it was a mannequin so I knelt down beside it and it was a human head. And so there again, to begin with, we thought it was a decapitation from a bad traffic accident, but then it became apparent really quickly that it was not."
Alofa Time of Nampa had beheaded his wife at their home. He had the head with him, driving erratically down Franklin Road when he deliberately crashed into Sydnee's family in an effort to kill himself.
Cavener calls it one of the most horrific cases of his career.
"Keep in mind. We thought we had a traffic accident," said Cavener. "The reality was we had two homicides and two different crime scenes and actually three victims in this case."
Sydnee survived with a broken arm.
"My grandmother tells me that God has a plan for you," said Sydnee. "I don't believe her sometimes, I'm like whatever, why didn't He take me? I'm glad that I did live so that I can be here today, that I can say that I did make my mom proud of what I've done."
Samantha Murphy's little girl grew up to be a beautiful rodeo queen. She's been a winner of multiple 4-H and rodeo competitions, and just last month, she graduated from high school and is already attending classes at CWI.
And with her along the way, to celebrate the milestones, the birthdays, and special events, the two Boise police officers first on scene 10 years ago, Steve Phan and Alan Cavener.
"She's a survivor number one," said Cavener. "She's a true victim of crime, violent crime. With all the obstacles she was dealt early in life she's done a really good job of moving forward and I think she's going to have a real successful future and I'm just real proud of her for doing that. Oftentimes when people become victims, they never ever move forward."
"I've gotten through high school, I'm getting through college, well part of it, I'm getting there," said Murphy. "I've done all these good accomplishments with my horses and dogs."
Sydnee believes it was in fact God's plan, that she survived for a reason - to show others they, too, can overcome tragedy.
"You can overcome anything that comes your way," said Sydnee.
And for all of you who prayed for that 8-year-old little girl 10 years ago today...
"Thank you guys so much for the prayers, they were really answered, they got answered," said Sydnee. "I couldn't be here without them."
Sydnee says she's forgiven the man who killed her mother and little sister. Alofa Time is in prison, serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, for the murder of his wife and Samantha Murphy and Jaelynne Grimes.
Alan Cavener is retired from Boise police, but now works part-time for them as a Greenbelt Ranger. `The other officer, Steve Phan, is now a school resource officer.