Defense Attorney Targets Police Investigation in 2010 Homicide Case

By Hunter Krienke [former] - June 8, 2023
Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

On June 7, defense counsel cross-examined a former detective about potentially mishandling the investigation of a 2010 homicide case.

Issac Moye, 45, is charged with second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in the disappearance and death of 24-year-old Unique Harris.  Harris, who was last seen near the 2400 block of Hartford Street, SE, was declared missing on Oct. 10, 2010. 

While her body was never recovered, an investigation by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers targeted Moye as the primary suspect in her murder.

However, defense attorney Jason Tulley raised concerns the police may have overlooked potential suspects who have had previous troublesome encounters with Harris.

After Tulley presented footage of interviews conducted with other suspects, he questioned a former MPD detective assigned to the case about her involvement in the investigation. 

The detective said she eliminated suspects based on evidence that did not place them at the crime scene. However, the defense questioned her about numerous leads that were allegedly not followed and the department’s inability to locate a suspect in a reasonable amount of time.

Concerns were also raised regarding the collection of evidence at the scene.

Under prosecution questions, the detective indicated she did follow procedure. As evidence prosecutors played played footage of interviews between Moye and the detective in which he allegedly lied about having previous sexual relations with the victim.

Moye had also allegedly failed to mention in his first interview that he was being monitored by an electronic device.

The detective said if she had been made aware of the device, she would have tracked his location on the day of the victim’s disappearance.
The trial is slated to resume before DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein on June 8.