Houston Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Crime Spree and Triple Homicide

A Houston man was sentenced Monday to life in prison for a crime spree that included six armed robberies in the Galleria area and a 2016 shooting that killed three people, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This case shows the scale of damage and destruction that just one person can inflict on a community,” Ogg said. “A Harris County jury convicted him and a judge sentenced him — we were able to hold him accountable and get justice for all of his victims.”

Jerome Moore, 25, was sentenced late Monday after a seven-day trial. He was convicted by a jury last week of committing the first-degree offense of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon on April 5, 2021. He was facing a punishment ranging from five years to life in prison.

Moore opted to have his sentence determined by a judge instead of the jury that convicted him. In order for the judge to make a decision, prosecutors presented evidence in court about all of Moore’s armed robberies.

Prosecutors were also able to show that he shot and killed three people at a block party in Houston’s Fourth Ward on the Fourth of July in 2016. Moore — who is a documented gang member — targeted a man at the outdoor party that he believed was a member of a rival gang.

Moore opened fire on the people at the street party just as the Freedom Over Texas celebration happened just blocks away. Moore killed three men and wounded two other people, including a 10-year-old boy.

Assistant District Attorney Keaton Forcht, who is a chief in the DA’s Major Offenders Division, prosecuted Moore.

“This verdict and the life sentence send a message to this small group of criminals who tried to hold our community hostage: Their game is over,” Forcht said. “The Galleria and the surrounding area is somewhere we can all go and enjoy ourselves — that’s the message this sends.”

Moore must serve at least 30 years in prison before he will become eligible for parole.