DuPage County prosecutors described the actions of 19-year-old Chicago man Ray A. Moore as a "crime tornado" that left a trail of burglary, robbery and eventually murder. Moore's Chicago criminal attorney advised his client to turn down a plea bargain, hoping he could beat the rap on a technicality.
Well, that didn't work out so well for Mr. Moore, who was found guilty and sentenced to 50 years in prison, according to an article in the Daily Herald. His argument that he never actually touched James Keniski the day he died ultimately didn't matter to the jury, which found him guilty of murder, home invasion, residential burglary and robbery.
Moore and three other men entered Keniski's home on May 16, 2007 with the sole intention of robbing him. He knew one of the men, since he allegedly bought drugs from him, so Keniski let them in unaware of their intentions. Moore was friendly at first and watched "American Idol" with Keniski's wife. But once it became business time -- Keniski's wife heard a commotion from the other room -- Moore demanded money and credit cards.
It would have been a garden-variety robbery but Keniski was pushed over a bannister and fell 10 feet, after which the men kicked him repeatedly to the point where he suffered broken bones, a damaged liver and severe head trauma that left him in a coma. He died a few days later.
Two other men took the plea bargain and have received lighter sentences, while the fourth man -- believed to have initially pushed Keniski over the bannister -- remains at large.
So even though they did not intend to murder Keniski, all four men were charged with the murder since it happened during the commission of the robbery.
- Explanation of murder in conjunction with another felony (FindLaw)
- Chicago murder rate (EveryBlock Chicago)
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