Torrey Moore: Maryland Man Sentenced to Life for Murdering Pregnant Girlfriend, Unborn Child, and Store Clerk
The punishment is for the murders of his pregnant girlfriend, their unborn son, and a local convenience store clerk, as reported by NBC Washington.
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| Torrey Moore |
It all began on December 8, 2022, when the local police department responded to a shooting at the Dash In convenience store in White Oak, Maryland.
Ayalew Wondimu, a 61-year-old clerk, was found dead behind the counter after being shot multiple times.
During an investigation of the crime scene, detectives found surveillance footage that showed Moore arguing with Wondimu before pulling out a gun and firing.
Criminal investigators began searching for Moore, and soon, they discovered that he lived just across the street from the crime scene.
Because they believed he might be armed and dangerous, they brought in the SWAT team to help with the arrest.
However, when the SWAT team entered Moore’s apartment, the case took a horrifying turn.
After arresting Moore, officers found the decomposing body his 26-year-old girlfriend, Denise Middleton, who was eight and a half months pregnant.
“The story is awful,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
“There is no way to slice it. This is a terrible case.”
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| Torrey Moore and Denise Middleton before the tragedy |
When police questioned Moore about what happened to Denise, he claimed that someone else had shot her and left her in the apartment.
However, after a detailed investigation, detectives discovered that Moore was lying.
According to police reports, Moore shot Denise Middleton inside their apartment on October 9, 2022—two months before his arrest.
Security footage from their building showed Moore dragging Denise into an elevator that day.
She looked clearly upset, and shortly after they entered the apartment, Moore reportedly shot her.
After killing her, Moore left Denise’s body on the floor of their apartment and went on a trip to North Carolina and California, where he stayed for about a month.
Moore made disturbing Google searches that suggested he was trying to cover up the murder. Some of the things he searched for included:
“How long before a body starts to stink?” and
“How to move a dead body without being seen?”
When Moore returned to the apartment after spending a month in different states, he didn’t report Denise’s death.
Instead, he lived in the same apartment with her dead body for 26 days—until he was finally arrested for the murder of the convenience store clerk, Wondimu.
Moore was eventually arrested and charged with the murders of his girlfriend, their unborn baby, and the store clerk.
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| Denise Middleton |
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| Ayalew Wondimu |
During the legal proceedings, Moore’s defense attorney claimed that he suffered from schizophrenia and other mental health problems.
They argued he was out of touch with reality, especially because he lived with a decomposing body.
But prosecutors rejected this argument, saying his actions were calculated and intentional.
Moore was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder — one for Denise Middleton, one for their unborn son (who was going to be named Ezekiel), and one for the clerk, Wondimu.
This became the first time in Montgomery County history that someone was convicted for the murder of a viable fetus.
During sentencing, Judge Rachel McGuckian described the crimes as horrendous and gave Moore three life sentences, making sure he will never be released.
“He was my everything,” Wondimu’s widow told the court. “I am heartbroken,” she added during her impact statement.
Even after being convicted, Moore never told detectives why he committed these terrible crimes.
“We’re left to wonder why he did what he did,” Judge McGuckian said.
“And really no one knows but him, and maybe not even him,” she added.
For Denise Middleton’s family, justice has been served, but the pain lingers.
“I’m glad he won’t be free to hurt anyone else,” said Chinita Coates, Middleton’s sister.
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