CAROLINE COUNTY (Dec. 21. 2025) – The Office of the State Fire Marshal has arrested a 26-year-old man following a grand jury indictment for an attempted arson targeting a business in Caroline County.
Deputy State Fire Marshals assigned to the Upper Eastern Region Office served an arrest warrant Friday on Marshall Allan Murphy, of Sudlersville, Maryland. Murphy was indicted on 16 charges, including second-degree arson and three counts of attempted second-degree arson, each punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The arrest follows a six-month investigation into an attempted arson at Murphy’s Transport in Ridgely. Investigators determined the company was targeted due to an ongoing dispute between Murphy and the owner. In July, the owner discovered fire damage in one vehicle and ignitable liquid poured inside three additional vehicles, causing an estimated $100,000 in total damages.
Murphy was arrested without incident in Greensboro, Maryland. He is being held at the Caroline County Department of Corrections without bond.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and explosion through a comprehensive program of education, inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: Maryland State Fire Marshal and/or our Facebook Page.1201 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD 21208