Tennessee man charged with attempted murder in connection to Madison Co. shooting

MADISON COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — A Tennessee man is in custody facing attempted murder and other charges after authorities say he shot his girlfriend, assaulted her mother, and evaded police for days in Madison County.

A complaint warrant reads that 38-year-old Christopher Morphis of Lenoir City, Tennessee, surrendered to authorities April 3 near Giovanni’s Pizza in Berea. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said Morphis attempted to flee on foot into a culvert but surrendered without incident after being challenged by patrol K-9 Spike. The Berea Police Department and the United States Marshals Service assisted in the arrest.

Morphis faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, first-degree strangulation, failure to comply with sex offender registration, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

The charges stem from a March 27 altercation at a home on Kentucky River Drive. According to complaint warrants, Morphis and his girlfriend argued throughout the day after reportedly consuming alcohol, the warrant reports.

The warrant states the woman retrieved a revolver to defend herself, but Morphis grabbed the gun, allegedly shot her in the leg, and struck her in the head with the firearm. Morphis also allegedly strangled her twice until she began to black out.

When the woman’s mother attempted to call 911, Morphis reportedly grabbed the phone, breaking two of her fingers. The warrant alleges Morphis then pointed the gun at the woman’s head and threatened to kill her, stating he had killed three people and did not care to kill more. Authorities noted Morphis fired all six shots from the revolver before fleeing.

Morphis fled the scene in a Chevrolet Astro van, which deputies later found abandoned with two flat tires on Carver’s Ferry Road. Despite searches using K-9 units and drones, and a doorbell camera sighting early Saturday morning, Morphis eluded capture until his arrest in Berea.

Court documents also reveal Morphis is a registered sex offender in Tennessee and had been living in Kentucky for at least a month without registering. The firearm used in the incident has not been recovered.

Morphis’ bond is set at $350,000 in total for both cases.