Harry Charles Moore
Harry Charles Moore (May 5, 1941 – May 16, 1997) was executed for the 1992 murders of Thomas Lauri and Barbara Cunningham. He was the second person executed by the State of Oregon since 1978. He had three children; Jennifer Moore, Aaron Speer, and Lawny Moore.
Harry Charles Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 5, 1941 |
| Died | May 16, 1997 (aged 56) |
| Cause of death | Lethal injection |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Children | 3 |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
The crime
Harry Charles Moore had been married to two of his nieces. Moore shot Thomas Lauri four times in the face with a 9mm handgun in front of a Salem post office. Moore then drove to Cunningham's house and shot her in the stomach. He then fired three more rounds into her head. Cunningham was Moore's half-sister and Lauri was her former husband. Moore said he had killed his relatives because he thought they would move to Las Vegas with his estranged wife and infant daughter, and expose them to a life of prostitution and drugs.
Sentencing and execution
Harry Charles Moore was sentenced to death on July 20, 1993. Moore later threatened to sue anyone who tried to stop his execution. He also appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court to drop the automatic appeal of his sentence. Moore's last meal consisted of two green apples, two red apples, a tray of fresh fruit, and two 2-liter bottles of Coke.
Just prior to the execution Moore asked the warden if he could borrow the keys to the prison, promising to "bring them right back." The request was denied. As Moore lay dying, he whispered: "I want the last word I say to be Jennifer, J-e-n-n-i-f-e-r." Jennifer is the name of Moore's daughter by his niece Cindy Moore. He had a son prior to Jennifer, and another son after Jennifer.
Moore was executed by lethal injection on May 16, 1997.
General references
- Oregonlive.com
- "Oregon Executes a Killer". New York Times. May 17, 1997.
- 1997 Year End Report: The Death Penalty in 1997. Death Penalty Information Center.