Maryland man who killed his pregnant girlfriend and lived with her decomposing body is sentenced

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (TCN) -- A 34-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing the mother of his unborn child and a gas station clerk.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy announced May 30 that a judge sentenced Torrey Moore to three consecutive life sentences in connection with the deaths of his pregnant girlfriend, Denise Middleton; their unborn child; and 61-year-old Ayalew Wondimu.

A jury previously convicted him of first-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a felony, and illegal possession of a firearm in Wondimu’s death. A separate jury found Moore guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Middleton, and for the death of her unborn child. Middleton was just weeks away from her due date when she died.

According to the Montgomery County Police Department, on Dec. 8, 2022, officers and fire personnel responded to the Dash In Convenience Store on New Hampshire Avenue and found Wondimu with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Police said Moore walked into the store, grabbed some items, and got into a verbal altercation with the cashier, Wondimu. The dispute escalated into a physical fight, and Moore reportedly grabbed a gun from his vest and shot the store clerk.

According to authorities, Moore lived across the street from the gas station, and detectives obtained a search warrant for his home. Inside, McCarthy said that officers noticed a "terrible smell" and discovered Middleton’s mummified remains. The state’s attorney’s office said Middleton’s body was there for "quite a long time." An autopsy revealed Middleton had been shot seven times.

Upon further investigation, detectives determined Moore and Middleton went into the apartment on Oct. 9, 2022. They were reportedly seen on surveillance footage in the lobby and taking the elevator. Investigators believe Moore fatally shot his pregnant girlfriend minutes later.

Moore fled the area for approximately 26 days and allegedly looked up, "How long does it take for a dead body to smell?" and "How to move a dead body without being seen." McCarthy said the defendant also searched ways to come up with a psychiatric defense.

Moore reportedly returned to the apartment and lived with his girlfriend’s decomposing body until police arrested him in December 2022.

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