L.A. May Release Child Murderer, Second Victim Overlooked

0:01 The unforgiving dawn of January 1995 brought with it a chilling discovery. A suburban home, seemingly ordinary and filled with the naive echoes of childhood, now held a sinister secret. In the once idyllic shed where laughter and the smell of fresh cut grass once rained now lingered the stench of concrete and decay. A grotesque reminder of a heinous act committed within its wooden walls. The innocence that once permeated this space was shattered, just like Maddie Moore's heart. No longer seen as a doting aunt, she was now branded as a convicted murderer. Her world had become twisted and unrecognizable as her own bloodline became her victim, her 8 year old niece, Latoya.

0:49 Welcome to No Tears for Black Girls, a true crime series created, written and produced by award-winning writer Jon Reedberg and hosted by Samantha Paul. At the age of 45, Moore had entered the prison walls. But now, at 74 and confined to a wheelchair with one blind eye, she was desperate to escape. As she addressed the California Parole Board from her cell in Chowchilla in May, Moore recited Psalm 23 from memory. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. But her words fell on deaf ears as the victim's loved ones also spoke out against her release.

1:33 Candace Moore couldn't understand why everyone was focused on her aunt instead of her cousin Kenny. She remembered little about him except for his bright eyes and longing for love. Born at the start of the crack epidemic in Los Angeles in 1983 to drug addicted parents, Kenny was taken away by his mother, Chandra Soils, leaving behind his father, Kenneth Eugene Gridiron. Senior Moore became the guardian for Kenny as his mother struggled with addiction. In around 1986, he disappeared without a trace. It seemed as if he never existed, but retired detective Dana Orient refused to let go of the case. He tirelessly searched for an unidentified body that matched the description of a missing 2 year old from the Antelope Valley area.

2:26 In his pursuit for justice, he came across another case involving a young boy found encased in concrete in a storage unit in 1994. The child was known only as John doe #245, and police had received an anonymous tip about his location. The medical examiner described a child with black kinky hair wearing a plastic diaper and a red, white and blue sweatshirt from Kmart. The cause of death was deemed undetermined, but listed under other significant conditions were multiple rib fractures. The case was ruled as a homicide, and yet no one knows who this child was or what happened to him.

3:07 He remains forever unknown, lost in a world where no one cared enough to claim him. The case had all the makings of a swift and successful resolution, a missing and murdered child, plenty of people willing to help, and a clear connection between the victim and their killer. But two decades later, the truth remained elusive. Orient, a determined investigator, stumbled upon a lead in the form of scribbled case number tied to a John Doe. That John Doe was eventually identified as Kenny, the older brother of Latoya Harris, who had been misidentified after her brutal murder. As Orient delved into the unsolved case, he uncovered a disturbing pattern of abuse inflicted on Kenny by Maddie Moore, the woman convicted of his sister's murder. Despite her criminal record and family history of violence, Moore's abuse was never officially documented until now. With a name finally attached to the forgotten boy, Orient pushed for justice and sought to bring closure to a family devastated by tragedy.

4:19 Candace's childhood was marred by her mother Moore's violent and unpredictable behavior. Despite the physical and emotional abuse, Moore was entrusted with caring for Soil's children. After her sister's death, the beatings only intensified, and when youngest son Kenny mysteriously disappeared, Candace thought he had been saved from their mother's wrath. But the abuse continued and eventually led to the horrific discovery of Latoya's body encased in concrete. It wasn't until Morris bravely came forward and confessed to helping his mother cover up the murder that the truth was revealed. As Moore awaited trial, another anonymous call led to yet another grisly discovery, A second body encased in concrete belonging to an unidentified child.

5:12 While police worked tirelessly to solve the case, Gridiron Senior's DNA didn't match any missing children. At the time, it seemed like this twisted family's secrets would remain buried forever. The gruesome details of the case were enough to make anyone's stomach turn. Gridiron Senior, a former detective, recalled how they pushed his son's murder investigation aside to focus on another case. Afterward, he fell into a downward spiral of drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain. During Moore's trial, the medical examiner revealed the horrifying history of abuse that 8 year old Latoya had endured.

5:55 The autopsy report showed scars all over her body, including a puncture wound on her head and a cigarette burn on her arm. Her official cause of death was an overdose of drugs and alcohol, with a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit and eight times the toxic amount of antidepressants in her system. The autopsy also listed battered child syndrome as a significant factor. In tears, 9 year old Lisa testified about witnessing more force feeding pills to Latoya on the night of her death. Despite this evidence, Moore was only convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison by Judge Morris B Jones, who expressed regret for not being able to give her more time behind bars After Kenny's body was identified years later, the lead detective Orient backed off the case and told Gridiron Senior that the LAPD would soon be coming after him, but months passed with no action taken against Moore.

6:57 Meanwhile, Moore had gone before the parole board in 2014 at age 64, claiming she was physically disabled and mentally tortured by guilt for her actions. She admitted to giving Latoya an overdose out of frustration and denied ever physically harming her niece aside from spanking her. But when asked about what happened to Kenny or the identity of the other child found in concrete, Moore simply replied. I don't know. With freedom within reach, it seemed like justice may never truly be served for these innocent children. Candace stood before the board dressed in a sharp Armani suit. Despite her flawless appearance, she had been crying for hours on her way to the prison. With determination in her voice, she accused her mother of unspeakable acts.

7:47 Candace described being locked inside the house with no means of escape and blood stains on the closet walls where her sister was kept captive. She made it clear that she would never believe her mother's remorse as she possessed an inherent evil gene. After only 30 minutes of deliberation, the parole board denied Moore's release, calling her evil. Meanwhile, Orient was still fighting for justice for Kenny. He wrote letters to the LAPD and District Attorney's office expressing frustration and embarrassment at their lack of progress. He even went to the media hoping to put pressure on the police.

8:29 Eventually they met with Gridiron Senior and Oren presented his extensive 60 page report detailing his interviews and suspicions about Moore's involvement in Kenny's murder. But the case continued to drag on without any action being taken. Oren wrote to District Attorney Gascon wondering if the lack of interest was due to their race and economic status. He feared that Moore would continuously be up for parole while justice for Kenny remained elusive. In May, during another parole hearing over video, Moore brazenly revealed that she had shoved Latoya into a door before her death. Her past was riddled with darkness and her anger issues were spiraling out of control. As Candace wiped away tears, she recalled the horrific day when her mother, Moore, murdered Latoya in a fit of fury. Despite overwhelming evidence pointing to her guilt, Moore maintained her innocence, blaming stress and lack of support.

9:30 But Candace knew better. Her mother's deep rooted trauma and explosive temper had always been a cause for concern, and as a 28 year sober and successful adult, Candace pleaded with the parole board not to release her mother back into society. She feared that Moore's unresolved issues would only lead to further danger. Despite this plea, the board surprisingly decided to let Moore walk free after just 15 minutes of deliberation, citing her age and declining health as reasons. But their decision was quickly challenged by Governor Gavin Newsom, who referred the case for a full board review. Gridiron Senior, another individual who had overcome addiction himself, joined the fight against Moore's potential release.

10:19 He revealed a heartbreaking detail. Kenny, Moore's son and Candace's brother, had gone missing when he was just a little boy. For Gridiron Senior, there was no doubt that Moore should spend life behind bars for what she had done. During the emotional parole hearing, Candace bravely spoke out against her mother's cruel actions. Despite her pleas, the parole board decided to release Moore, leaving Candace and her family devastated. As they tried to come to terms with the decision, LAPD Central Bureau Homicide announced that Kenny's murder was still an open case and justice would continue to be sought for him and his family.

11:01 When Gridiron Senior received the news from Candace, he was in shock and disbelief. His son's killer was being set free once again. Frustrated and angry, Gridiron Senior slammed his first on the kitchen table as he realized that justice may never truly be served for his son. And as the days went by, Gridiron Senior visited his son's final resting place at Evergreen Cemetery, searching for any semblance of closure. But all he found was a plot marked with 1995, where Kenny's ashes were buried alongside over 1800 others, including unidentified victims. As Gridiron Senior stared down at his son's grave, he couldn't help but feel anger and sadness knowing that Kenny had been reduced to nothing more than a statistic in a system that failed him and his family. Thank you for tuning in to No Tears for Black Girls. This series is skillfully crafted by acclaimed writer and producer Jon Reedberg with the guidance of unapologetic host Samantha Paul.

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