• June 1989 — Jim Murray is hired as Peachtree City Police Chief. He comes from service with the Savannah Police Department.

• March 2003 — A massage parlor employing Asian women is raided in Peachtree City and arrests are made.

• May 2003 — Bernie McMullen is hired as city manager.

• May 20, 2003 — Judy Zeng, a resident of mainland China, sends an email to Peachtree City officials discussing her online relationship with Murray.

• Feb. 4, 2004 — Public Works investigation announced for missing equipment and money. Ultimately, five employees resigned including the two top managers under the public works director, and criminal charges followed. The public works director went on extended medical leave. He later is named assistant city manager under McMullen.

• March 11, 2006 — An adult chat room conversation on city-owned computers ensues between Adeline Magabang and a man identifying himself as James Andrew Murray Cross.

• June 3, 2006 — City Manager Bernie McMullen is arrested for a golfcart DUI outside “The Fred” amphitheater in Peachtree City. McMullen is removed temporarily as Murray’s direct supervisor. Instead, the City Council names Mayor Harold Logsdon to be Murray’s supervisor pending disposition of the DUI charges against McMullen.

• August 2006 — System Administrator Matthew Robinson performs a “random check of the logging system files of Chief Murray and discovered eight reports containing activities of a suspect nature. Robinson briefs the city’s finance director on the discovery and then “made a copy of those files for safekeeping.” No report is made to the city manager.

• Aug. 10, 2006 — McMullen pleads guilty to a DUI and receives 24 hours in jail and an $800 fine. Shortly afterwards, McMullen resumes direct supervision over Murray and the police department.

• December 2006 — Police officers — having earlier formed their first-ever union — attend council meeting en masse. Union has no issues with management, including chief, but has problems with cap on McMullen’s suggested pay-for-performance raises and increase in employee pay of monthly health insurance premiums.

• May 12, 2007 — A group of Peachtree City police officers dine at Pano’s and Paul’s restaurant in Atlanta prior to the McIntosh High School prom.

• Sept 27, 2007 — Peachtree City Police Sgt. Odilia Bergh alleges inappropriate sexual language by Chief Murray at the May pre-prom dinner that Bergh alleges was directed at another female officer. The other officer files no complaint.

• Oct. 2, 2007 — City Manager McMullen meets with Bergh and Human Resources Manager Brenda Rogers and launches an investigation into the complaint.

• Oct. 4, 2007 — In a meeting with McMullen, Murray disputes Berg’s allegations or that Murray had made any sexually suggestive comment to a female officer. A meeting is also held between McMullen and members of the police department.

• October 2007 — An investigation is launched into Murray’s computer usage. According to System Administrator Robinson, “In October 2007, the city manager asked me if I had any unusual information regarding the police chief in response to another investigation. I advised the city manager of and provided the suspect files found from August 2006, and the city manager requested additional files and information from the computer activity reports and a search of the police chief’s computer for suspect files and activity. In the course of this most recent investigation, the majority of suspect information provided to the city manager was found.”

• Oct. 17, 2007 — McMullen receives emails from an alleged but anonymous Peachtree City police officer who backs up Bergh’s claims and provides additional information.

• Nov. 5, 2007 — On the date of McMullen’s meeting with Chief Murray, Robinson sends a memo to McMullen documenting possible violations of the city’s policy on computer use by Murray. Also, McMullen issues a memo stating he cannot corroborate Bergh’s allegations.

• Nov. 5, 2007 — McMullen meets with Murray and Lt. Col. Wayne Hannah from the Fayette County Sheriff’s department. The subject of Murray’s retirement is discussed.

• Nov. 6, 2007 — Chief Murray in a memo to McMullen sets out the timeline for his final days with the department. The memo begins, “Please accept this memo as the timetable for my official retirement as we discussed on Nov. 5, 2007.” Murray tells the city manager that he will announce his retirement to his department’s employees on Nov. 19. “As we discussed and agreed to yesterday, I will retire effective Wednesday, Jan. 2 [sic], 2008 at 1700 hours,” Murray wrote. “I appreciate your consideration in allowing me the opportunity to plan my retirement after a long career with the Peachtree City Police Department.”

• Nov. 9, 2007 — The Citizen’s editor files an open records request with city Information Officer Betsy Tyler and City Manager McMullen. The request seeks “any and all documentation, whether written or in electronic form, related to any and all complaints — including complaints of sexual harassment and/or inappropriate comments of a sexual or harassing nature — against Police Chief James Murray and/or officers under his command during the past 60 days, dated back from this date, Nov. 9, 2007 ... I am also asking the city to confirm or deny that two Fayette County Sheriff's deputies — Lt. Col. Hannah and Capt. Woodie and/or other deputies — were present before a City Hall meeting earlier this week in which Chief Murray's service weapon had to be surrendered before Murray went into a meeting that included McMullen. Please confirm or deny that City Hall was on lock-down status before and during the meeting. I also want to know the current duty status of Chief Murray. I am asking City Manager McMullen to confirm or deny that McMullen is seeking either the dismissal or the retirement of Chief Murray, such departure to occur before the end of the calendar year.”

• Nov. 14, 2007 — Peachtree City responds to The Citizen and provides partial information about the meeting, but withholds multiple documents because of the pending personnel matter. Also on this date, Murray was scheduled to depart for Colorado Springs, Colo., to accept a previously announced award.

• Nov. 17, 2007 — Lt. Col. Hannah confirms that he was at the Nov. 5 meeting, but declines to go into detail about Murray’s service weapon or the reason for the deputies’ unprecedented presence for the meeting.

• Nov. 19, 2007 — Murray was scheduled to return from Colorado and immediately to go on “terminal leave” until his retirement date.

• Dec. 10, 2007 — McMullen informs Maj. Mike Dupree, now the top-ranking remaining officer in the department, that an internal affairs investigation involving the chief has been suspended.

• Jan. 1, 2008 — Chief Murray retires after 18 years as head of Peachtree City’s police department.

• Jan. 9, 2008 — In response to renewed open records requests following Murray’s resignation, the city turns over to The Citizen additional documents, memos and logs of chat room conversations involving Murray’s computer.

• Feb. 5 and 6, 2008 — The story with accompanying details is published online and in The Citizen.