Probable Cause Found in Infant’s Murder

By Simran Agarwal - June 18, 2025
Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan determined the evidence shows a homicide defendant was the perpetrator in the fatal beating of a child during a hearing on June 13. 

Wayne Blake, 24, is charged with first-degree murder – felony murder and cruelty to children, for his alleged involvement in the fatal beating of his child, 18-month-old Journee Moore, on Sept. 28, 2024 on the 3700 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. 

According to a press release from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Moore was found suffering from cardiac arrest. It was later determined she succumbed to blunt force injuries in a filicide–the killing of a son or daughter. 

In order to establish a history of abuse, prosecution asked the lead detective about an August 31, 2024 incident when Moore had spent the weekend with Blake and allegedly suffered bruises during the encounter.

The pictures shown in court show bruises along the child’s hairline. When Moore’s mom asked about what happened, the defendant claimed Moore had fallen in the bathtub and hit her head against the metal railing. However, police were not called and no cause of the injuries was determined. 

Autopsy photos showed bruisesn on both sides on the baby’s cheeks healed laceration and a healed cut. There were also circular bruises all along her chest, upper and lower back, thigh, and hip.

Kevin Mosley, Blake’s attorney, pointed out that the witnesses who lived with the defendant had never seen him hit, yell, or kick the victim. In fact, Blake was often happy to take care of Moore and never complained to the victim’s mother that Moore visited too much, argued Mosley.

On the other hand, Mosley said Moore’s mom was characterized as a bad mother by multiple other witnesses including her own father. She would allegedly leave Moore for long periods of time. 

Then the prosecution asked the detective about Sept. 27, 2024 the day before the incident when the victim was picked up by her paternal grandparents from daycare because she wasn’t feeling well. Although she threw up multiple times, Moore was never taken to the doctor, and the cause of her illness was unknown. 

Mosley shifted the focus to the following day, Sept. 28, when Moore and her mother were at the defendant’s house where the defendant then took care of the victim all day. Mosely highlighted how Blake fed her, cooked for her, and played with her while Moore’s mom was in the other room napping and watching TV. Moore’s mom and other witnesses who lived with the defendant including Blake’s mom, dad, and uncle also saw Blake and Moore napping together for part of the day. 

Mosley displayed video footage of the victim and defendant together in the elevator. In the first video, it shows the defendant holding the victim while they make faces and laugh together, Blake also plants multiple kisses on Moore’s face. 

Mosley argued that the defendant cared for Moore and that she was not afraid around him.

The focus then moved to the defendant’s room which had bottles all over the floor and near the bed. The detective admitted that she had seen countless bottles, some of which were left open as well. Blake testified that the victim fell off the bed, and defense suggested the bottles may have been the cause of facial injuries.

When Moore’s mom came up she saw that Moore was lying unconscious on the ground and that Blake was administering CPR. Although the victim’s mom herself was CPR certified and claimed Blake had been doing it incorrectly, she did not step in to do it herself and merely corrected Blake.

The prosecution argued that CPR could not have caused the bruises shown during the autopsy and that the defendant himself admitted to being with the victim at the time some of the injuries were sustained.

They also brought up that once the case had been declared a homicide, the defendant called Moore’s mom panicked and scared, claiming that he wanted to kill himself. These actions, the prosecution argued, were signs of consciousness of guilt rather than a sign of concern as the defense suggested.

The prosecution also said that they don’t have to prove intention and that reckless action is also considered during probable cause. They reminded the court that they had also established a history of abuse, referring to the weekend in August as well.

The judge left briefly to consider the case and decided in favor of the prosecution that there was probable cause that the defendant contributed to Moore’s death. 

Parties are slated to reconvene on June 27.