Unjolee Moore Facing Life Sentence After Murder Conviction

  • Friday, June 21, 2013

Unjolee Moore is facing a life in prison sentence after he was convicted on Friday of the murder of 46-year-old Bernard Hughes.

Moore, 27, was found guilty by a jury in the courtroom of Criminal Court Judge Don Poole after a week-long trial.

Prosecutors said Moore was the driver in the June 10, 2010, robbery and murder at the British Woods Apartments on Oakwood Driver.

John "Cut Throat" Simpson, who was allegedly one of two gunmen who shot Hughes and Timothy Westfield, earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He has not yet been sentenced.

The defense put on no proof.

The state declined to call Simpson. The defense considered using him for a witness, but finally decided against it after Simpson conferred with his attorney, John Brooks.

The jury heard statements in which Moore admitted taking part in planning the robbery, but did not intend for murder to be involved. Witnesses said Hughes was a marijuana dealer.

Authorities said Harold Francis "Bam" Butler, III, 33; was the other triggerman and that Steven James Ballou, 33, was also involved.

Butler and Ballou are scheduled to go on trial July 16.

Prosecutors were Neal Pinkston and Cameron Williams.

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