MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — The widow of a fatal hit-and-run victim is asking for the 15-year-old suspect to be charged as an adult.
The case out of Maple Valley is currently in juvenile court, where the girl is charged with second-degree murder and felony hit-and-run for the death of Greg Moore in July.
The victim’s wife, Michelle, pleaded with the prosecuting attorney’s office to charge the teen as an adult.
Sept. 14 should look a lot different for her.
“Greg and I got married in my parent’s backyard 30 years ago today. Instead of celebrating with him, I am here alone, alone in this world without my partner,” Michelle said.
Greg Moore was hit and killed while finishing up a 15-mile run in Maple Valley on the morning of July 18.
The driver of the vehicle that hit Greg Moore was arrested nearly two months later.
“She went on about her life for seven weeks. Seven weeks of torture for my family and me,” Michelle said, “I would argue that with the brutality of her crime and blatant disregard for human life [that] warrants her being tried as an adult.”
According to the charging documents, the teen's intent was to commit assault, not murder. The documents state: “While committing and attempting to commit the crime of Assault in the Second Degree, and in the course of and in furtherance of said crime and in immediate flight therefrom, did cause the death on or about July 18, 2021 of Gregory Moore, a human being, who was not a participant in the crime.”
The 15-year-old was turned in by a family member. During police interviews, another relative of the suspect told police, “[the teen] told them that they hit a guy; that they were going to try to hit him, but not too hard, but they got too close and he went over the car.”
Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, told KING 5 the investigation didn’t show proof that the girl meant to kill Moore when she allegedly hit him with the car.
“There is a process to go before a juvenile court judge and ask that the case goes to Superior Court. Usually what judges ask about is the intent and evidence that we have in the case so far and the juveniles' previous history. In this case, there isn't any,” he said, adding that the defendant has no prior criminal history.
“We intend to ask for the maximum amount of years in juvenile court. We intend to prove this murder case in juvenile court. We know that that won't make everybody happy. But we believe that we can get a conviction and that's what we intend to do,” McNerthney continued.
For Michelle, that’s not enough.
“I know I can never get Greg back. But if justice is not served, I’m afraid I will never know peace,” she said.
Michelle fears the teen will be released in six years if convicted and, according to Washington state law, that's possible.
“Even if you're convicted of murder in juvenile court, the juvenile court jurisdiction ends at age 21. And that's set by state lawmakers. It's not by folks in King County, that's across the state. And we understand that there are a lot of people who are frustrated by that,” McNerthney explained.
Michelle said it's worse knowing the collision was done on purpose.
“When all of this first happened, the pain and emotion was horrible. But now, with this knowledge that it was a purposeful act, it’s even worse… it’s even worse," she said. "Knowing that someone could take him from me like that. I have lost faith in humanity because of what this person took from me and now I have lost faith in the justice system.”