Mysterious Death of Marrio Moore: Authorities Neglect Contact with Grieving Family
Mississippi family shocked as their beloved Marrio Moore, found murdered on the streets, was secretly buried in a pauper's field by authorities Seeking justice, his devastated sister demands answers in this alarming case, the second in Jackson to come to light recently
The family of a man from Mississippi is in shock after discovering that authorities buried him months ago in a pauper's field after he was found murdered on the street. This is the second incident of its kind to surface in Jackson recently. Marrio Moore, aged 40, was discovered wrapped in a gray and blue tarp on a cold, rainy morning on February 2nd by a person on their way to work, according to a case report from the Hinds County Coroner's Office. The report indicated that Moore's death was deemed a homicide caused by "blunt force" trauma to the head.
Two months later, on April 3, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors gave approval for his burial at a penal farm, as indicated in the document. Moore's burial took place at the farm three months later, on July 14.
Bettersten Wade, mother of Dexter Wade, who died at 37 after being struck by a Jackson, Mississippi police SUV driven by an off-duty officer, is comforted by her daughter, Latonya Moore, as they watch her son's body being transferred to a mortuary transport. The body was exhumed from a pauper's cemetery near the Hinds County Penal Farm in Raymond on Monday, November 13, 2023. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced on Monday that he is requesting the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the reason why authorities took several months to notify the family of Dexter's death. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Dexter Wade, who was killed by a police cruiser and buried without his family's knowledge, has finally been laid to rest. However, Moore's family was not informed by the police or the coroner's office, his sister told CNN. They only found out about his death in early October when they saw Moore's name on a list released by CNN affiliate WLBT, which included 24 homicide victims whose identities had not been publicly disclosed by the Jackson Police Department.
Marquita Moore, 39, expressed her inner turmoil by saying, "I feel so restless. It's not just me, even my mom is up all night, filled with concern and anxiety."
"It's just shocking," Marquita continued. "We're all struggling to comprehend why anyone would harm Marrio like this."
Its at least the second publicized instance in Jackson in recent months, leading to inquiries about the effectiveness of notifying the next of kin when a body is discovered: Dexter Wade's family was also uninformed about his burial in the same field as Moore for months, as outlined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents both families. Wade had been struck by a Jackson Police cruiser and his family had previously filed a missing persons report.
Dexter Wade was buried in this pauper's field.
WAPT
"As we continued to uncover more about Dexter Wade's case and the deceit his mother experienced, our concern grew that other families had or would suffer the same fate - now we know this to be true," Crump stated. He is now representing five families of individuals buried in the paupers' field, as he revealed on CNN's "Laura Coates Live" on Tuesday.
"This once again raises the question, why were the next of kin kept in the dark?" the attorney remarked in the statement.
"It is cruel to withhold answers from a family and deny them the opportunity to properly lay their loved one to rest," he lamented. "Rather than providing closure, the Jackson authorities opted to bury these individuals in a pauper's field, with only a three-digit number as their memorial. The inaction, apathy, and cruelty of the Jackson Police Department is disgraceful."
In the case of Moore, the Jackson Police Department, which had previously announced the implementation of a death notification policy in November, and the coroner's office have suggested that they did make efforts to notify Moore's family of his passing.
The officer visited Moore's last known address, knocked on the door, and left contact information, as reported by Capt. Abraham Thompson to WLBT. The coroner's office report indicated that Moore's medical records identified a brother named Gavin Moore, but Marquita clarified that her brother's name is actually Godwin Onuchukwu, not Gavin Moore. Both agencies provided their reports to CNN and chose not to make any additional comments.
A police vehicle parks this year near the Hinds County Courthouse, left, and the main offices of the Jackson Police Department.
Marquita told CNN that she believes authorities did not make enough effort to contact her family. She argues that they would have easily found her family if her brother had committed a crime.
Marquita stated, "If my brother had committed a crime, they would have been banging on the door to come in and search for him."
She inquired, "How long was your investigation before you buried him and put him in the ground? I'm pretty sure you didn't conduct one. I'm quite certain of it."
I want justice, sister says
The Moores family had refrained from filing a missing person report for Marrio, as Marquita revealed to CNN, citing the normality of going for months without communication. She explained that Marrio had been battling drug addiction for years, feeling ashamed to be in the presence of his family. Nevertheless, they could always expect to see him during the holiday season, particularly on Thanksgiving and Christmas, when Marrio made it a point to visit his family, according to his sister.
This year will be different. Instead, Marrio's family is seeking answers to several questions: What caused Marrio's death? Who was responsible for it? And why weren't they told?
"I felt so devastated and perplexed," said Mary Glenn, Marrio's mother, in an interview with CNN Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates on Tuesday. "There were so many unanswered questions... All I know is that my son was buried in a pauper's grave."
On October 9th in the evening, Marquita's aunt informed her about the WLBT news report that revealed the 24 undisclosed homicides that had occurred this year. The list was shared with WLBT by the Jackson Police Department, aiming to offer the public a more comprehensive understanding of the crime situation in Jackson.
Marquita Moore speaks to WLBT.
WLBT
Her brother was the second name listed, described by Marquita as intelligent, soft-spoken, and gentle. She portrayed him as the type of person who wouldn't harm a fly, advocating for the recognition of bugs as God's creatures. "I just broke down on my couch then," Marquita revealed. "I just broke down real bad."
The following day, Marquita and her sister had a phone conversation with an investigator at the coroner's office, who confirmed the discussion took place. According to Marquita, the investigator informed them that their brother had died from a blunt force injury to the head and had been laid to rest in a "mass grave." The investigator explained that this was the county's protocol for indigent inmates with no family, Marquita added.
An image of Dexter Wade is seen during a press conference in Jackson, Mississippi, on October 30, 2023.
WAPT
Family left with more questions after body of loved one exhumed without them being present
"Indeed, he has a family," Marquita informed CNN. "He is not a prisoner. He has loved ones who care for him."
Marquita recounted a series of meetings that took place in the following days with members of the police department, during which her family was informed that officers had attempted to reach them but were unsuccessful.
The detective informed the family that he had visited two addresses in Jackson in an attempt to reach them, Marquita stated. She pointed out that her mother had lived in the same house for over 20 years and her brother received his mail there.
According to Marquita, Thompson informed the family that an officer had left his card in her mother's door on February 9. She expressed doubt about this, and asked, "If he did leave a card in the door, does it end there?"
Thompson told WLBT that there is a protocol for next of kin notification in any homicide, and leaving information such as business cards or police services details is considered sufficient. The statement from Crump's office on October 20 revealed that Moore's family had held a memorial service without his body, and they were still seeking answers about his burial location and the events leading up to his death.
"We will attempt to have their remains exhumed and provide Marquita's mother, as we did with Dexter Wade's mother, with a dignified funeral and burial," Crump informed Coates. Marquita's family's greatest source of peace would come from uncovering the truth about her brother's fate and holding those accountable for his death.
"I want justice," she said. "Justice would bring the peace. The justice will."
CNNs Shawn Nottingham, Andy Rose and Devon Sayers contributed to this report.
