Harry Charles Moore
Encyclopedia
Harry Charles Moore was the second individual executed by the State of Oregon
since 1978 for the murders of Thomas Lauri and Barbara Cunningham.
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.
to drop the automatic appeal of his sentence.
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.
Moore was executed by lethal injection
on May 16, 1997.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
since 1978 for the murders of Thomas Lauri and Barbara Cunningham.
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 SalemSalem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
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
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
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 CourtOregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
to drop the automatic appeal of his sentence.
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.
Moore was executed by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
on May 16, 1997.