State v. Michael Rashid Moore
LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on January 29, 2020, Michael Rashid Moore, 22 of Waldorf, entered a guilty plea in Charles County Circuit Court, in front of the Honorable Judge William R. Greer, Jr., to the Attempted First-Degree Murder of Ronald Murphy, Jr., Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence, and Conspiracy to Commit the First-Degree Murder of Walter Thomas.
On March 3, 2019, officers responded to an apartment complex in the area of Amber Leaf Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found victim Murphy lying on the floor of an apartment bedroom, suffering with multiple gunshot wounds. Murphy was treated on scene then transported to the University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center, where he was further treated. At the hospital, two bullets were discovered to have traveled to his neck and one bullet traveled to his lung; however, thankfully, he survived.
Two days later, on March 5, 2019, officers responded to the 3000 block of Gallery Place in Waldorf for the report of a missing person. Officers canvassed the area and discovered victim Walter Thomas lying face down by a bike path in the area of Freemantle Court. Thomas, who suffered a single gunshot wound, was unresponsive and pronounced deceased at the scene.
An investigation into the shootings revealed that months prior to Murphy’s shooting, Moore and an acquaintance of Murphy got into a physical altercation. During the evening hours of March 3, 2019, Moore saw Murphy seated in his vehicle in the area of Amber Leaf Place and Wakefield Circle. Moore approached the rear of Murphy’s vehicle and began shooting at him because of the prior altercation. Before fleeing the area, Moore shot Murphy three times in his back.
During the course of the investigation, Moore admitted to detectives that he shot Murphy. Moore also stated that he conspired with another individual to cover up the shooting by doing a random armed robbery that would result in another shooting if the victim gave resistance. Moore supplied the bullet for the shooting.
On the evening of March 4, 2019, Thomas was walking with a friend in the area of Fairchild Court in Waldorf. The men were approached by a suspect who commanded them to not run away. Thomas’ friend was able to flee unharmed; however, Thomas was shot. Thomas attempted to flee the area but collapsed a short distance away.
A sentencing date has been set for March 26, 2020. Moore faces 40 years in prison pursuant to his plea agreement.
C-08-CR-19-000377
• Attempted First-Degree Murder of Ronald Murphy, Jr.
• Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence
C-08-CR-19-000502
• Conspiracy to Commit the First-Degree Murder of Walter Thomas
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