John Joseph Murphy, 75, a retired Chicago police sergeant, headed a police unit in the 1960s that focused on the hijacking and burglary of precious metals by organized crime.
A resident of the Irving Woods neighborhood on Chicago’s Northwest Side, he died Wednesday in his home of cancer.
Articles in the Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine praised the successful efforts of the Grand-Central unit, headed by Sgt. Murphy, that investigated the thefts of gold, copper, nickel and cadmium. The thefts included hijacking by syndicate-connected individuals of shipments of gold used by electronics firms. The police unit helped recover several loads of stolen metals.
Sgt. Murphy retired in 1979 after a 33-year career, spending almost half of those years as a detective.
A native of the city’s West Side, he attended St. Philip Catholic High School, where he lettered in football and baseball.
Survivors include his wife, Kathleen; two daughters, Mary and Kathleen; two sons, Kevin and John; and a granddaughter.
Visitation will be from 1:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday in Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 6150 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago. Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church, 8033 W. Addison St.
