Follow Up: Denise Middleton’s Killer Sentenced in Historic Maryland Case
A Montgomery County jury has made legal history with a groundbreaking conviction, finding 33-year-old Torrey Moore guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant girlfriend, Denise Middleton, and her unborn child.
Middleton was a gas station attendant in Silver Spring, Maryland when she was killed in 2022.
This verdict, delivered in a Maryland court, represents the first conviction in Montgomery County for the killing of a viable unborn fetus.
Prosecutors presented chilling video evidence, showing the last moments Middleton, visibly pregnant, was seen alive. The footage, recorded in an elevator of Moore’s apartment building, shows the couple together shortly before her death.
Investigators revealed that Middleton’s body was discovered in Moore’s apartment, where she had been dead for more than a month. She had been shot seven times. The same video later captured Moore leaving the scene of the crime.
In a press conference after the conviction, Middleton’s family mourned her tragic loss. “My baby sister Denise was a loving and caring person, excited to have her first child, Ezekiel. It is unbelievable that she will never have that opportunity,” said Chinita Coates, Denise’s sister.
The Middleton family released the following statement to Media:
"Denise Middleton was a funny, witty, and loving person. She loved fashion, hair, and makeup. She could make an outfit out of anything. Her laugh was infectious and her jokes were the highlight of special moments. She was so excited to become a mom. She told everyone who would listen! Her heart was soooo big and she always made sure you knew she loved you.
Denise was a walking book of positive affirmations. She always said the nicest things about you when she saw you. Always complimenting someone and giving out love. If you had a disagreement with her, she would make sure to make things right. Denise was so loved by her family and so cared for! We are heartbroken that this was her story and reality. We wish our efforts would have brought her back home to us. Denise and Baby Ezekiel is loved and missed by the Middleton Family. Thank you all for your prayers and kind words! This has shaken our family up but has brought us even closer! We will make sure justice is served for her and baby Ezekiel #protectblackwomen"
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