David Murphey, a software engineer who appeared on TLC’s “90 Day Fiancé” franchise, has died.
Murphey died on December 11 at his home in Nevada after “experiencing health issues over the last few years” of his life, his family announced in a statement on Instagram and Facebook on Wednesday. He was 66.
“He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and fans,” his loved ones said.
Murphey appeared in season 4 of the “90 Day Fiancé” spinoff series “Before the 90 Days,” which chronicled his relationship with Ukrainian girlfriend Lana. When his season debuted in 2020, Murphey was preparing for retirement and life on the road.
“I can’t wait to start this new life living in the RV full time and I want to share that with someone,” he said at the time.
Several years prior to his ’90 Day Fiancé’ spot, Murphey hooked up with Lana, whom he met on an online dating site. After several attempts to meet in person, Murphey and his now ex were reunited in Ukraine, where they began their journey toward a life together that would ultimately prove complicated. As the season progressed, Lana, then 28, admitted that she had not only bonded with Murphey but also talked to other men. Despite this, Murphey proposed to Lana in the season finale.
“I have my girl now, I really have her… she is mine now,” he said in a confessional shortly after the proposal. ‘I have my other half now. I did it.”
However, the engagement did not mean happily ever after for the couple. In 2022, Murphey confirmed during an appearance on ’90 Day Diaries’ that his romance with Lana was over.
Over the next few years, Murphey turned his attention to traveling the country, sharing his road trips with fans on Instagram. He told followers on social media in 2022 that he had been hospitalized and described several health problems, including blood clots in his lungs and blockages in his liver and pancreas.
Murphey’s last post, shared before Wednesday’s family statement, was a video from 2023 in which he told fans he has been living with “more of the same issues” since his hospitalization. “My liver isn’t working properly,” he said, adding that doctors “can’t figure it out.”
“I’ve been really out of commission. I have canceled all these trips,” he added. Later during the Instagram Live session, Murphey admitted that he “never felt any sadness” about his ex-girlfriend and distanced himself from his time on the series.
Before his death, Murphey retired from the Clark County Treasurer’s Office, his family said. He previously worked at H&R Block and gaming company IGT. In addition to his career and stardom on “90 Day Fiancé,” Murphey was known for his “fierce” love of cats, his family said.
“He always went above and beyond to adopt cats and give them good, loving homes,” the statement said, adding that donations in Murphey’s name could be made to the Animal Foundation of Las Vegas.
Murphey is survived by two sisters and his cat Gamera.
