MARKUS VERNON MOORE, 26, of Lakewood, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 29 and ½ years in prison, and five years of supervised release for Second Degree Murder, Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of Cocaine Base with Intent to Distribute. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton told him “you are a person who needs to be segregated from society.”

MOORE admitted in his plea agreement, that he joined with other conspirators in the murder of 20-year-old Christopher Jerry. Jerry was a former soldier who was shot to death in late August 2005, at the dark and isolated Fort Lewis Ammo Supply Point Gate. MOORE had never met Jerry before that night, but had joined the others who had kidnapped Jerry over a debt. MOORE shot Jerry multiple times in the head and neck after Jerry had tried to run away from his captors. In a second indictment MOORE was charged with possession of crack cocaine and a 9mm pistol. Under the terms of the plea agreement, MOORE was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder and an additional 4 and ½ years on the drug and firearms charges to be served consecutive to the murder sentence.

In asking for the lengthy sentence, Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Gruber and Kent Liu wrote to the court about the senseless murder. “Jerry was violently and viciously cut down in the prime of his life for absolutely no reason at all. The man who pulled the trigger did not even know his victim,... Moore is -- not solely, but fully --responsible for the unjustifiable death of a young man, six years younger than himself, whose final seconds, minutes, and hours of life were no doubt extremely painful and filled with terror,” they wrote in their sentencing memorandum.

Three additional defendants will be sentenced later this summer. Thomas Evans Dunigan will be sentenced on June 22, 2007. Michael Jordan will be sentenced on July 24, 2007 and Jacob Ray Gardner will be sentenced on July 25, 2007. This case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) with assistance from the Lakewood Police Department and the Pierce County Violent Crimes Task Force.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Gruber and Kent Liu.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110.

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