On Wednesday the man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend and a gas station clerk in White Oak was found competent to stand trial.
32-year-old Torrey Moore was arrested in December in connection to the murder of Dash-in gas station clerk, 61-year-old Ayalew Wondimu. At the time of his arrest, while serving a search warrant at the Enclave apartments, officers found Moore’s girlfriend 26-year-old Denise Middleton’s body.
Investigators and the medical examiner’s office determined Middleton was shot multiple times and was 38 weeks pregnant at the time of her murder. An autopsy of her body showed the fetus was viable at the time of her murder and based on the level of decomposition, Middleton had been killed months prior to her discovery. Officials also believe Moore was still living in the apartment alongside Middleton’s body.
Moore told police he and Middleton were in a relationship and the two had an altercation which led to her death. Moore was charged with the murders of the gas station clerk, Middelton, and the unborn child. In December, Moore was ordered to undergo a mental competency evaluation and a judge found him incompetent to stand trial. At a press conference, State’s Attorney John McCarthy said the expert determined More was a danger to himself and to others so his request to be released to pre-trial services during the hearing was denied.
At Moore’s latest hearing, he was found competent to stand trial. Trial for the murder of Wondimu begins April 8, 2024. Trial begins May 8 for the murder of Middleton and her unborn baby boy.
