The accused shooter, who killed six people in a multi-stop, mass shooting in Clay County over the weekend, pleaded not guilty in court on Monday as state prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Daricka M. Moore, 24, appeared in front of a Clay County Circuit Judge Jim Kitchens and entered not guilty pleas to 11 charges, including capital murder, first-degree murder, attempted murder of a child, attempted sexual battery, burglary, and theft of a motor vehicle. Moore is accused of going on a four-and-a-half-hour murder rampage on Friday that took the lives of his father, brother, uncle, 7-year-old cousin, a church pastor, and the pastor’s brother. The shooting happened at three different locations in the Cedarbluff community, outside of West Point. He was arrested at a police roadblock in the area just before midnight.
Because Moore was charged with capital murder, he is not eligible for bail under state law. District Attorney Scott Colom told reporters on Saturday that if Moore is charged with capital murder, his office is going to seek the death penalty.
“If he’s eligible for the death penalty, the district attorney’s office is going to go for that,” Colom said. “There’s some cases that have got to get the worst punishment.”
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said at a Saturday press conference that evidence and witnesses indicated Moore was the only shooter. Authorities have not indicated a motive behind the shootings.
Investigators believe Moore first killed his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore; his brother, 33-year-old Quinten Moore; and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines, at the family’s mobile home. Sheriff Scott said Moore then took his brother’s truck and drove to a cousin’s nearby home, where he attempted to commit sexual battery before shooting his 7-year-old cousin. Family identified the girl as Mikylia Guines. Moore then placed a gun against a younger child’s head, according to Scott, but did not kill them. He then allegedly drove to the Apostolic Church of the Lord Jesus church and killed Rev. Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley.
Judge Kitchens ordered a mental evaluation for Moore, who is being represented by public defender Clarissa Harris. A trial date has not been set.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.