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Michelle Moore receives 9 years in prison for role in death of Heather Garraus
Click here to the Web Page dedicated to the Shawna Nelson case.
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David Young, (Bio) dyoung@greeleytribune.com
April 22, 2008
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Click here to see Michelle Moore's sentencing.
Shawna Nelson's best friend, Michelle Moore, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder was sentenced to nine years in prison Monday, just days after being arrested for her second DUI since 2006.
Moore, 27, was originally charged with conspiracy to commit murder and criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder of Heather Garraus. Moore pleaded to a lesser charge in return for testifying against Nelson in her trial and a lighter sentence.
Moore, a former Weld County Sheriff's deputy, appeared in court in custody, having been arrested over the weekend on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Weld District Judge James Hartmann Jr. said Moore empowered Nelson by giving her advice on how to commit and cover up the murder. Moore testified in Nelson's trial that she had advised Nelson on how to plant evidence at the scene of the crime and that she witnessed Nelson describe hatred for Garraus.
Nelson, a former Weld County police dispatcher, was found guilty in March of murdering Garraus, the wife of Ignacio Garraus, a former Greeley police officer who Nelson had an affair with and had his child. Nelson was sentenced to life in prison.
Hartmann said Moore was fortunate not to share the same fate.
"Frankly, consider yourself lucky that you're not spending the rest of your life in prison," said Hartmann, who sentenced Moore to the maximum sentence of nine years in prison and three years of mandatory parole.
Both of Moore's parents, who traveled from South America where they are missionaries, spoke on behalf of their daughter, describing her as a cheerful person who has a lot of love for people.
"We believe in her, we love her and we know there is a lot of potential there," said Dean Runyuns, Moore's father. "We believe that God has a plan for her life."
Clifford Riedel, assistant district attorney for Larimer County, asked Hartmann for the maximum sentence.
"She could have prevented this murder on multiple occasions," Riedel said, noting Moore went so far as to put Ambien, a sleeping aid, in Nelson's husband Ken Nelson's coffee so he would be asleep at the time of the murder.
He also said that once Nelson had been arrested for the murder, Moore obstructed police investigations by holding back information on four occasions.
Moore's defense attorney Andy Gavaldón said Moore accepted responsibility for her role, but ultimately it was Nelson who killed Garraus.
"Nelson's intent was to cause harm to Heather Garraus with or without the help of anyone, including my client," Gavaldón said.
Hartmann said it would be speculation to say whether Garraus would still be alive today if Moore had acted differently, but he said he didn't believe that Moore had any doubts that Nelson was capable of murder.
"Every time you had these conversations, you were empowering her, which ultimately resulted in the death of Heather Garraus," Hartmann said.
Moore's weekend arrest
At 2:30 a.m. Saturday, a Larimer County Sheriff deputy stopped Michelle Moore, 27, at Remington and Laurel streets in Fort Collins. The deputy arrested her on suspicion of DUI after she failed a voluntary sobriety test, said Eloise Campanella, spokesperson for the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.
Monday afternoon Moore was advised by video in Larimer County Court and had her bond set at $2,500, said Linda Jensen, executive assistant with the Larimer district attorney's office. Her arraignment in that case is set for 8:30 a.m. May 30.
A former Weld County sheriff's deputy for four years, Moore resigned from her job in September 2006, which coincided with an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. She pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired in October 2006.
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CLOUDY 41°
