A former divorce attorney has been charged in connection with the death of a client, who was killed more than 10 years ago.
Aliza Sherman, 53, was stabbed multiple times while waiting outside the Stafford Law building in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, on March 24, 2013.
The mother-of-four was found lying on the sidewalk by a Good Samaritan, but she succumbed to her injuries and later died in hospital.
Highlights
- A former divorce lawyer, Gregory Moore, is charged with murdering client Aliza Sherman over a decade-old cold case in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Prosecutors say Moore arranged a meeting, then sent deceptive texts to keep Sherman outside, facilitating her stabbing to delay her divorce trial.
- Moore faces multiple charges including aggravated murder, conspiracy, kidnapping, and six counts of murder in connection with Sherman’s death.
Gregory Moore allegedly murdered his former client to delay a court case
Image credits: Williamson County
Prosecutors say they have now solved the decade-old cold case, and have indicted Gregory Moore, 51, on several charges.
Moore was working as Sherman’s divorce attorney at the time of her death, and prosecutors allege he had her killed to delay or stop her divorce trial from going ahead.
Moore is facing one count of aggravated murder, one count of conspiracy, six counts of murder, and two counts of kidnapping.
An indictment from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said Moore arranged to meet Sherman at his office at 4:30 p.m., but changed this to 5:00 p.m. after she had left.
Image credits: News5Cleveland
While she was waiting outside, Sherman, a nurse, sent Moore a number of text messages that went unanswered.
“Will you be here soon. Kind of cold,” one read.
At 5:15 p.m., Moore responded “been here”—a text allegedly designed to make Sherman remain outside and not return to her car, prosecutors allege.
“If you are here why don’t you let me in. I guess I will go back to my car… Too cold… Text me when door is open thanks,” Sherman replied, after sending another text saying the door was locked.
A hooded attacker, either Moore or an unknown co-conspirator, then allegedly approached Sherman, circled behind her and chased her.
That person stabbed Sherman over 10 times before fleeing the scene.
Prosecutors allege that Moore then sent Sherman a number of texts and tried to call her, despite knowing she had been stabbed, to hide his involvement.
Image credits: 19News
“These texts and requests for calls were for the purpose of creating false evidence that Moore was unaware of Sherman’s assault,” the indictment said.
Sherman died in hospital, and her divorce proceedings ended without trial.
Her husband, Sanford Sherman, was never named as a suspect or charged, but investigators previously said he would not cooperate, 19 News reported.
“The Sherman family has waited over a decade for answers regarding their mother’s homicide,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in a statement.
“Through the tenacious work of multiple law enforcement agencies, evidence was accumulated that paints the unmistakable picture that Gregory Moore orchestrated and participated in the brutal murder of Aliza Sherman.”
At the time of Sherman’s death, Moore was already being investigated for calling in bomb threats to delay his court appearances in 2012.
In 2017, he pleaded guilty to falsification for giving authorities misleading statements during Sherman’s murder investigation and to inducing panic related to the bomb threats.
As a result, Moore served six months in jail, had his law license suspended in 2017, and subsequently resigned it the following year.
Moore will be arraigned at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center at a later date.