In a startling development, an Ohio-based divorce lawyer has been apprehended on charges of murdering a client. Gregory Moore, 51, is accused of orchestrating the death of 53-year-old Aliza Sherman in 2013 to evade taking her divorce case to court. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Moore aimed to incapacitate Sherman, thereby thwarting the progression of her case.
Moore was indicted last week on charges of aggravated murder, conspiracy, and kidnapping. The indictment discloses that Sherman was set to meet Moore at his Cleveland law office on March 24, 2013, to discuss her upcoming trial. Moore had instructed Sherman to call him upon her arrival, at which point he would grant her access to the office. However, prosecutors maintain that Moore had no intention of conducting this meeting.
Authorities have disclosed that Moore was ill-prepared for the trial and had a track record of concocting strategies to delay his court appearances. In the preceding year, Moore had issued three separate bomb threats to courthouses where he was scheduled to appear, resulting in a six-month jail term after a guilty plea.
On the day of the incident, Sherman texted Moore to notify him of her arrival at his office. Unbeknownst to her, Moore had deactivated his phone to evade law enforcement tracking. He allegedly used a company hotspot to text Sherman, signaling his presence. When he failed to let her in, a puzzled Sherman texted that she would retreat to her car due to the chilly weather.
Prosecutors claim that Moore or an unknown accomplice approached Sherman from behind, pursued her down the street, and stabbed her ten times. In a bid to misdirect investigators, Moore continued to text Sherman, inquiring about her location and encouraging her to call him.
Sherman managed to dial 911 for assistance, and a bystander also called 911 after discovering her on the sidewalk. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead. As the investigation progressed, Moore allegedly entered his office building through a rear entrance to avoid detection. He reactivated his phone and continued to call Sherman, feigning ignorance of the attack. In the subsequent days, Moore also replaced his cell phone. The divorce case was ultimately dismissed without proceeding to trial.
Ed Tomba, the initial lead investigator for the Cleveland Police Department, voiced his long-standing suspicions about Moore. However, he conceded that they lacked the necessary evidence to charge him with aggravated murder at the time. Moore had previously been charged and pleaded guilty to lying to the police about Sherman’s death and issuing bomb threats.
Moore was apprehended near Austin, Texas, last week and will be arraigned once he is returned to Ohio. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley commended the tireless efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies in collecting evidence against Moore. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations assumed control of the case in 2021, and Sherman’s murder was also spotlighted on NBC’s Dateline. Sherman, a mother of four, was employed as a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic.