WATERLOO - The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a former Waterloo man who allegedly began harassing a former high school classmate after not seeing her for 39 years.

Iowa City Police said Kenneth Michael Murphy started sending disturbing letters to the woman while he was in prison for stalking and harassment charges for bothering another woman.

In the recent case, the victim - who knew Murphy in high school but never had a relationship with him - was in charge of arranging a 40-year class reunion scheduled for 2006.

One of the letters seeking alumni reached Murphy while he was serving time at the Clarinda Correctional Facility, according to court records.

Murphy's responses ended with new harassment charges and a four-year prison sentence in November.

Now 60 and residing at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, Murphy challenged the conviction.

But the Iowa Court of Appeals ruled jurors reasonably concluded he intended to intimidate and alarm the former classmate.

"Murphy makes the statement that although he would like to have sex with a woman, 'the good news is I haven't resorted to rape,'" the appeals court ruling reads.

"These statements could reasonably cause someone to feel frightened, disturbed or in danger," the decision reads.

His letters also noted he knew the woman was the only adult living in her house and that he looked up her address on a map, court records state.

Reunion notice

After receiving the reunion notice, Murphy sent the woman a letter in August 2005 with suggestions for the gathering and ideas for historical musical he was writing.

A second letter, written in February 2006 after Murphy was living in Iowa City after having been released from prison, reached the woman through an acquaintance.

Later that same month, Murphy sent a 22-page letter telling the woman he had a crush about her in high school, had fantasized about her and wanted to marry her, court records state.

The former classmate went to police, who warned Murphy to quit contacting her.

But a letter and an e-mail followed in June 2006. Murphy wrote that he felt no one wanted him at the reunion, but he wanted to attend to refute a psychiatrist's statements that he was an "imminent threat" to another woman, records state.

Prior charge

Before he developed an interest in the former classmate, Murphy had stalked a woman he met in a Roman Catholic singles club in 1982.

They never dated, but he began writing her letters shortly after they met.

Over the years, the missives mentioned rape and death by stabbing.

Murphy was committed for mental health reasons in 1984 but resumed writing her in 1999 and then was convicted of violating a restraining order.

A 2000 letter landed him in prison from 2001 to 2003.

More letters in 2003 netted Murphy a five-year prison sentence.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.