At a meeting in 1994, Outlaws regional president “Mad Mike” Markham was criticized for failing to take action against the Hell's Angels.   Markham, however, was reluctant to take on the Hell's Angels because the two clubs had peacefully coexisted in his region.   An Outlaw from Markham's region, Harold “Bullwinkle” Brewington, suggested an alternative:  attack the Hell's Angels in California.   Markham liked the idea and told Brewington that he would bring it up at the next regional presidents meeting.

At a meeting near the end of 1994, Bowman, apparently adopting Markham's idea, announced that the Outlaws would take the war against the Hell's Angels to California.   Bowman planned to send a group of trustworthy Outlaws to California to conduct surveillance on, and possibly assassinate, either Sonny Barger, the international president of the Hell's Angels, or George Christie, a national officer.   Ultimately, Murphy and Brewington were selected for the mission, but Murphy, uncomfortable with Brewington, went to California alone.

Murphy stayed in Ventura, California, for four days, locating and mapping out Christie's residence.   He returned to Florida, but, after the Daytona Outlaws were arrested on federal RICO charges, Bowman directed Murphy to bring the map to Tennessee.   Murphy presented his report at a meeting in Tennessee, and Bowman thanked him for his service.   Eventually, Bowman dispatched other Outlaws to follow up on Murphy's findings, but Christie was never harmed.