A 17-year-old girl lay dead on the living room floor of her Montgomery Village home in May 2022, according to a police report. The officer would note in his report that she “appeared emaciated.” The autopsy would be more specific: 79 pounds. Clothed.
Her mother and father were arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder in her death and six counts of neglect of a minor for each of her six siblings who were also living in the home, which police described as “unsafe and unsanitary” in charging documents. The autopsy report classified the manner of death as homicide and the cause to be “complications of neurological disorder” and noted that “the child was not provided adequate care [that] she would have been dependent upon for the medical condition she suffered from.”
On May 10, 2022, officers responded to the 9400 block of Quill Place near North Creek Community Center for report of a “working code in progress.” Police spokesperson Shiera Goff said the term is used to describe a person in cardiac arrest who has stopped breathing and who someone is attempting to resuscitate. At the residence, officers allegedly spoke with the mother of the victim, Cynthia Moore, 40, and her husband, Dominique Moore, 45.
Cynthia Moore allegedly told officers her daughter had multiple sclerosis and diabetes and had lingering effects of COVID-19, but that she had not been taken to see a doctor since she was 15. Cynthia Moore allegedly told the police she had given the victim some apple juice and she “sounded like she was trying to cough up her mucus but was having a difficult time.”
Cynthia Moore told police the victim’s “eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed,” at which point she began administering CPR while another child in the residence called 911. Fire and rescue personnel responded to the scene, and a medic pronounced the teenager dead at the location after further CPR was unsuccessful. When county police detective F. Springer arrived on the scene, he observed the victim deceased on the living room floor.
Police described the family as “living in squalor” in a press release. According to Dominique Moore’s statement of charges, other observations noted by Springer included:
- Animal feces were found on the floor throughout the home.
- The apartment was dark and appeared to lack working electricity or light bulbs.
- There was a refrigerator in the living room, nearly empty.
- The toilets did not appear functional.
- Blankets covered all the windows.
- There did not appear to be nearly enough beds for the 10 children and their parents.
- “Overall unsafe and unsanitary living conditions within the residence.”
Spokesperson Lauren DeMarco from the county State’s Attorney’s Office told MoCo360 Wednesday afternoon that Cynthia Moore was still being processed and that her statement of charges was not yet available.
Due to the unsanitary conditions observed by police, the six minor children were removed from the home in May 2022 and placed in the care of Child Protective Services. The youngest of the 10 children was 4 years old. When the minors were interviewed, detectives noted that they showed signs of developmental delays and that none could give “a realistic account of their school day or their studies.”
Springer reported being unable to obtain any school records for the children besides that the family was “compliant” based on documents given to Cynthia Moore by Montgomery County Public Schools. In his report, Springer said he learned that “for homeschooling in Montgomery County, there is no grade system and there is heavy reliance on parents/caregivers to ensure that the kids are learning at their age/grade level.”
When asked why it took a year for police to arrest the Moores, Goff said detectives were waiting for the medical examiner’s final ruling, which was formalized on April 14. Springer obtained a copy of the report and spoke with the doctor who performed the autopsy, he noted in his records.
The bail review hearing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Case records do not clearly show attorney information for the defendants.
