Micahel Moore Background Info

Discussion in 'The Search for Rachel Cooke' started by RiverRat, Nov 9, 2006.

  1. RiverRat

    RiverRat FFJ Sr. Member Extraordinaire (Pictured at Lef

    Michael Moore Background Info

    CBS 42) ROUND ROCK Monday marks one month since a Williamson County man was sentenced to prison for killing a pregnant Dell executive in her Round Rock home. A jury found Michael Moore guilty of murdering Christina Moore. They are not related.

    After the verdict, Moore confessed and received a 30-year prison sentence.

    Bettye Johnson was related by marriage to Michael Moore.

    Prosecutors say it was Johnson who put together the random puzzle pieces of an otherwise insoluble murder.

    While her testimony gave Christina Moore’s loved ones closure, Johnson says it tore apart her own family.

    Johnson’s quiet life in San Antonio is the antithesis of how Williamson County district attorney John Bradley sees her.

    “If you thought of the Michael Moore case as a bomb sitting in the community that needed to be exploded, Bettye Johnson was the match that lit the fuse that set this whole thing off,†Bradley said.

    To understand Johnson’s critical role in solving the September 23, 2003 murder of Christina Moore, you have to go back to 2001.

    That's when Bettye Johnson met Michael Moore with his stepson, Randall Johnson. Right after Randall and Bettye started dating, Bettye found out she was pregnant and Randall found himself in jail for parole violations.

    She says Michael Moore later told Randall he robbed a gun store.

    Bettye says she called police who never arrested him.



    “My belief is if the police would've looked into it, he would've been locked up. He would have been locked up because it was a lot of guns. He would have been locked up a long time and he would've never broke into Christina Moore’s house and murdered her,†Johnson said.

    Johnson says she and Randall got married, but had little to do with her father-in-law because of the gun store incident.

    But in October 2003, Michael and Rebecca Moore came to the Johnson’s home, wanting to trade wedding ring sets with her. Johnson says she never tried on the platinum and diamond bands. She says Rebecca Moore thought were fake.

    “I just felt like it was unlucky to try on someone else's rings, especially wedding rings, because he said he bought them from a day laborer so I thought he must've not had any luck with them so they're going to sell them.â€

    Then in late 2003 Bettye Johnson’s mother-in-law called her about some checks she'd found in Michael Moore’s truck. Johnson recognized a name on them from news reports -- Christina Moore.

    “It kind of made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, cause it was just fishy, you know?â€

    Still, Johnson says she didn't put two and two together. She just didn't think Moore was capable of killing a woman with her toddler daughter in the house.

    Then in February 2004, Johnson says Michael Moore broke into her home and tried to sexually assault her.

    She went to police, mentioned the checks and rings, and found herself swarmed by investigators.

    District Attorney Bradley says, “Bettye Johnson provided one of the most significant links to the case.â€

    Johnson identified Moore’s voice on an anonymous payphone call He'd made to police about the checks. Without her, the Bradley is sure the murder would still be unsolved.

    “A lot of people might not understand the courage that it took to come forward with this. What all did you have to risk by coming forward with this?â€

    “I had that whole side of that family to lose. But I knew I had to do the right thing,†Johnson said.

    Johnson says she's moving on, but it's hard not to think about Christina Moore especially since Johnson’s recently engaged.

    A few days after Moore was sentenced, he led prosecutors and police to Christina Moore’s wedding rings, college ring, and earring he'd stolen. They were buried under a cactus in rural Williamson County. The jewelry was returned to Moore’s family.


    (© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2006
  2. koldkase

    koldkase FFJ Senior Member

    You know, it sounds to me like Michael Moore broke into Ms. Johnson's home to get those rings back. He probably learned from his wife that she'd told Ms. Johnson about the checks in the truck, and he probably feared she was going to figure it out and call LE. So he broke in and when she caught him, started the sexual assault to cover up that he really wanted the rings, maybe thinking she wouldn't turn him in for the sexual assault out of shame and family repercussions.

    Obviously, he did get the rings, didn't he, because it says he later led to police where he'd hidden them.
     
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