Harry Charles Moore

Background

Harry Charles Moore was an Oregon double murderer.

Moore’s mother, a former minister, had performed the couple’s wedding. Before the murder trial, the judge said he did not consider the marriage legal.

Moore held that he killed two “predators” who were a danger to his infant daughter. He said he feared that they would take his wife and daughter to Las Vegas, where the daughter might fall into a life of prostitution and drugs.

After his conviction, Moore steadfastly resisted any efforts to delay his execution, including the legally required automatic appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court.

The offence

Moore was found in June 1993 of aggravated murder for the June 1992 deaths of his wife’s parents, Thomas Lauri Cunningham and Barbara Jean Cunningham.

Moore gunned down Thomas Lauri outside Salem’s main post office and shot Barbara Jean minutes later at her home.

Barbara Jean Cunningham was Moore’s half-sister, so Moore’s wife, Cindy Cunningham, was his own niece.

Investigation

Arrest

Trial

Moore was found in June 1993 of aggravated murder for the June 1992 deaths.

Sentencing

Marion County Circuit Judge Richard Barber signed Moore’s death warrant and set the date for his execution.

Judge Barber agreed with a psychologist who examined Moore and concluded that the inmate was legally sane “for the purposes of being executed.”

Opponents said Moore was mentally incompetent.

Moore asked that his execution be carried out at 10 am, May 10, his 56th birthday, and asked for a woman executioner and full media access, including television cameras.

Appeals

Since his conviction, Moore resisted the legally required automatic appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court.

David Groom, a lawyer in the state public defender’s office, said he would be standing by with the appropriate legal papers should Moore change his mind about an appeal. The judge advised Moore that the option remained open until the last second.

Outcome

Moore vowed not to file any legal challenges to stop his execution by lethal injection.

Marion County Circuit Judge Richard Barber set Moore’s death warrant date for May 16, 1997, at 12:01 a.m., making him the 2nd person executed in Oregon since voters there reinstated the death penalty in 1984. Last September’s execution of triple murderer Douglas Wright was the 1st execution in Oregon since 1962.

Moore told the judge that he was ready to be executed, adding:

“for one, it'll get me out of the hell hole I'm in now.”

He said he would be happy to get away from the other men on death row, adding:

“those are the foulest, most evil sickos I've ever been around.”

Moore emphatically told the judge that he did not want anyone interfering with the execution. Judge Barber agreed with the psychologist’s conclusion that Moore was legally sane “for the purposes of being executed.”

Michael Mills, Moore’s defense attorney, said Moore:

“feels that could have a deterrent effect in Oregon.”

Deputy District Attorney Don Abar said the May 16 date was the only one available to all other principals in the execution.

Aftermath

Moore was executed by lethal injection in Oregon on May 16, 1997.