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Richard D.
MOORE
MOORE, RICHARD D.
# 7 & # 92
ON DEATH ROW SINCE 01-13-00
DOB: 06-05-1931
DOC#: 13140 Black Male
Hamilton County Superior Court Judge Jerry M. Barr
Venued from Marion County
Prosecutor: J. Gregory Garrison,
John D. Tinder
Defense: Wilmer E. Goering, II
Date of Murder: November 6, 1979
Victim(s): Rhonda L. Caldwell
B/F/27 (Ex-wife); John H. Caldwell B/M/54 (Ex-Father-In-Law); Gerald
F. Griffin W/M/29 (Indianapolis Police Officer)
Method of Murder: shooting with
shotgun
Summary: Moore was divorced from
his second wife, Rhonda Caldwell, 8 days before murdering her. Moore
went to the home of her parents on 36th Street in Indianapolis and
talked to Rhonda in the carport for awhile. Rhonda began to cry and
headed back in the house. As she did, she shouted at her parents to
"get inside, lock the doors, Richard's got a gun."
Moore was armed with a shotgun and when it was
all over he had shot John Caldwell to death in the living room, shot
Rhonda to death in the kitchen, and seriously injured Ruth Caldwell
with shots to her right arm and buttocks.
A responding Indianapolis Police Officer in full
uniform, Gerald Griffin was dead just outside, Moore having shot him
with the shotgun through the front doorway. Another Officer, Cicero
Mukes was also in full uniform and shot while getting out of his
marked patrol car.
Conviction: Pled Guilty to
Murder (3 counts) with no Plea Agreement; State dismissed Attempted
Murder (A Felony) (3 counts) and Confinement (B Felony) (3 counts)
upon the Court's acceptance of the guilty pleas.
Sentencing: October 24, 1980 (Death
Sentence)
Aggravating Circumstances: b(6)
Law enforcement victim; b(8) 3 murders
Mitigating Circumstances:
improvements made in his life as he overcame alcoholism, religious
activities while in jail, opinion evidence that he is not likely to
repeat crimes, extreme emotional disturbance, good works, no
significant prior criminal record
On Remand: Venued to Boone County by
agreement. Following a new Sentencing Hearing, Special Judge James
Detamore sentenced Moore to death on 01-13-00.
Direct Appeal: Moore v. State, 771 N.E.2d 46 (Ind. June 26, 2002)
Conviction Affirmed 5-0; DP Affirmed 5-0
Dickson Opinion; Shepard, Boehm, Sullivan, Rucker concur. Moore v. Indiana, 123 S.Ct. 1931 (May 5, 2003) (Cert. denied).
Habeas:
06-04-03 Notice of Intent to File Petition for Writ
of Habeas Corpus filed.
03-29-04 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed in U.S. District
Court, Southern District of Indiana.
Richard Moore v. Daniel McBride, Superintendent (1:03-CV-00828-LJM-WTL)
Judge Larry J. McKinney
For Defendant: Alan M. Freedman, Chicago, IL, Laurence E. Komp,
Ballwin, MO
For State: Stephen R. Creason, Scott Alan Kreider, Deputy Attorneys
General (S. Carter)
HABEAS PETITION PENDING IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT,
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA, JUDGE LARRY J. MCKINNEY.
(FULLY BRIEFED SINCE 10-28-04)