Execution Report: Curtis Moore

Continued from Page 1

A jury convicted Moore of capital murder in November 1996 and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in April 1999. He was originally scheduled for execution in May 2002, but his execution was stayed by the U.S. Supreme Court, which at the time was considering the issue of whether executing mentally retarded prisoners was cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court issued its ruling banning the execution of the mentally retarded in June 2002, but the trial court issued a new execution date for Moore following that ruling. In July 2003, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay of execution and ordered the trial court to consider Moore's claim of mental retardation. The trial court made its determination, finding that Moore was not retarded. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the trial court's verdict in January 2007.

Moore then presented his claim of mental retardation in the federal court system, but was unable to obtain a ruling favorable to him. The federal court for the northern district of Texas wrote, "In short, having independently reviewed all of the evidence, the court concludes that, while there is evidence indicative of perhaps mild mental retardation, there is ample evidence that Moore is not mentally retarded." The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote, "Moore presented a thin case of mental retardation ... While [his IQ] scores could support a finding of subaverage intellectual functioning, the scores can also sustain a finding that Moore is not retarded." The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Moore's appeal.

Anthony Pierce Moore pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and received two life sentences. He remains in state custody as of this writing.

Darrell Hoyle attended Moore's execution, as did Roderick Moore's parents and three sisters of Tiffany Boone. Irene Wilcox, who ministers to death row inmates, also attended. "I love you, Irene," Moore said in his last statement. "I want to thank you for all the beautiful years of friendship and ministry." He did not acknowledge Hoyle or the others. The lethal injection was then started. He was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m.

By David Carson. Posted on 15 January 2009.
Sources: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Attorney General's Office, Associated Press, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, court documents, public records.