Torrey Moore, the man arrested in the fatal shooting of a White Oak gas station attendant on Dec 8. and facing additional murder charges in the death of the decomposed pregnant woman found in his apartment in Silver Spring, has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Moore is charged in the deaths of Ayalew Wondimu, 61, a gas station attendant who was gunned down Dec. 8; Denise Middleton, 26, whose remains were found Dec. 9 in a state of advanced decomposition in Moore’s apartment; and the fetus she was carrying, which was 8 months along and viable.
Middleton’s family members said they were “heartbroken” and described her as “funny, witty, and loving” in a statement released this week to media outlet DC News Now. They said she was excited to become a mom to “baby Ezekiel.”
On Monday, Judge Amy Bills scheduled a June 13, 2023 date for a competency hearing for Moore, according to the office of Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
A doctor’s report presented in court found Moore “to be dangerous to himself or others, and therefore as a result, [he] was not eligible to be released into the community,” McCarthy said at a news briefing.
Moore has been held without bond and is being represented by the Office of the Public Defender, according to the State’s Attorney.
In their statement to DC News Now, Middleton’s family said her “laugh was infectious, and her jokes were the highlight of special moments.”
“She was so excited to become a mom. She told anyone who would listen!” the statement read.
“Denise was so loved by her family and so cared for! We are heartbroken that this was her story and reality. We wish our efforts would have brought her back home to us. Denise and Baby Ezekiel is loved and missed by the Middleton Family,” the statement read.
The family thanked well-wishers for their prayers and kind words. .
“This has shaken our family up but has brought us even closer! We will make sure justice is served for her and baby Ezekiel #protectblackwomen,” the statement read.