HOLLADAY, Utah — A man from Holladay was arrested Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee on suspicion of taking pictures of a woman getting undressed inside a mall fitting room.
Steven Murdock, 55, posted bail and is now back home in Holladay.
Murdock is a high councilor with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
FOX 13 tried to speak to him to get his side of the story, but he refused to roll down his windows as he pulled into his home’s driveway on Friday. Then he abruptly left.
The woman involved, Alondra Alcala, spoke to FOX 17 News in Nashville after she encountered Murdock and his wife at H&M on Tuesday.
“I did feel violated. I felt gross. Why is this happening to me?” Alcala said. “I undressed from the waist down, and I looked up. In the corner of the dressing room -- at the top -- there was a camera phone, an iPhone, pointing down at me. So obviously I knew I was being recorded. I freaked out. I froze.”
Alcala said she confronted Murdock and witnessed him trying to delete the lewd photos from his phone. She also said Murdock’s wife tried to convince her to make a “deal” by not calling police.
“Thankfully I was able to slap (the phone) out of his hand and take it and run out,” Alcala said.
Arresting documents state that Murdock "guided her to an open dressing room stall."
People who live in Murdock’s neighborhood were very quick to stand up for him, describing him as a great man with a beautiful family.
Neighbors confirmed Murdock used to be a bishop at his ward in Holladay before serving on his stake’s high council.
One man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he just listened to Murdock’s speak at his ward a couple months ago.
“I enjoyed his talk, thought he seemed dynamic and personable,” the man said. “I do feel really bad for his family and hope that they can all recover from this, but I was pretty disappointed... I would guess that he’ll be released.”
Eric Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would not confirm or deny Murdock’s involvement with the church. He said typically someone arrested for a crime like this would be removed from a leadership position, but that would ultimately be decided by other leaders within the church.
Stay with FOX 13 for continuing updates on this story.
