Judge Denies 2020 Murder Defendant’s Motion for Acquittal

By - July 7, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Suspects | Victims |

On July 7, DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein denied a motion for a judgment of acquittal in the disappearance and death of 24-year-old Unique Harris.

Isaac Moye, 46, was found guilty on June 23 of second-degree murder in Harris’s death for a crime that allegedly occurred on Oct. 10, 2010. 

Moye was arrested in 2020, ten years after Harris was reported missing. Court documents state Harris’s children awoke to find their mother missing, something extremely out of character. There has been no physical or digital footprint of Harris since she went missing. Harris was last seen near the 2400 block of Hartford Street, SE,

In response to the verdict Moye’s attorney, Jason Tulley, submitted a motion for a mistrial and a request for a judgment of acquittal.

Judge Epstein denied the acquittal motion based on sufficient evidence of Moye’s malintent. The mistrial motion will be ruled with a written order. 

Judge Epstein discussed the government’s evidence and inferences made by the jury to determine Moye’s guilt. The main points included Moye’s lying about a relationship with Harris, no window of opportunity for other suspects, and GPS tracking putting him at Harris’s residence around her disappearance. 

Judge Epstein stated the government’s “circumstantial evidence was sufficient” in proving beyond reasonable doubt that Moye caused the disappearance and death of Harris. 

Defense counsel, Tulley, noted for the record that Moye’s jury did not appear to be representative of the community, therefore might not be a jury of his peers. 

Sentencing is set for Sept. 15.