Opinion ID: 2590211
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Murder of Edward Daniel Moore

Text: Around 1:45 a.m. on December 26, 1972, a California Highway Patrol officer driving in the area of the Seventh Street off-ramp from the 405 and 605 Freeways saw a group of pedestrians near a dead body later identified as that of Edward Daniel Moore. The body was on the shoulder of the off-ramp, about one-quarter mile from Seventh Street. The victim's body was identified through his fingerprints. Moore was a United States Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton. When his body was found, Moore was wearing a jacket, T-shirt, sweater, pants with no belt, and one sock. The other sock was found in his rectum. Moore's boxer shorts had his name, as well as another person's name, stenciled on the back. Moore had died about three days before his body was found. The cause of death was asphyxiation through strangulation. There were ligature marks on Moore's neck and two scratch marks on the left side of his scrotum. A fist or blunt instrument had caused antemortem trauma to Moore's nose and lip. Moore's blood contained only a trace of alcohol and no drugs. The prosecutor argued to the jury that the entry EDM on defendant's list referred to Moore.