Mississippi Rampage: Death Penalty Sought After Man Allegedly Kills Members of His Family, Including 7-Year-Old Girl, and Pastor in One Night

A 24-year-old Mississippi man accused of a murderous rampage that led to the homicides of six people – including his father, brother, 7-year-old cousin, a church pastor and the preacher’s brother – will be eligible under state law for the death penalty.

Arrested at a roadblock just before midnight Friday was Daricka M. Moore, the apprehension taking place in rural Cedarbluff after state and federal police flooded northern Mississippi in the hours after the slayings.

“Six people, one night, several different scenes, it’s about as bad as it gets,” Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom told the Associated Press.

Moore is being held without bail in the Clay County jail and expected to appear in court on Monday to face charges on the murders. Colom said under state statutes Moore is eligible for a death sentence and he will pursue it if Moore is convicted.

The homicidal rampage took place across a rural landscape of fields, woods, and modest homes, about 125 miles northeast of Jackson, according to authorities.

Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott told reporters at Saturday’s news conference that evidence and witnesses indicate that Moore was the only shooter and no other injuries have been reported.

Investigators reportedly were interviewing Moore but did not know yet what may have prompted him to allegedly commit mass murder, he added.

According to the AP report:

Investigators believe Moore first killed his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore, his brother, 33-year-old Quinton Moore and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines, at the family’s mobile home on a dirt road in western Clay County.

The sheriff said Moore then stole his brother’s truck and drove a few miles to a cousin’s house, where he forced his way in and attempted to commit sexual battery. Scott said Moore than put a gun to the head of a 7-year-old girl, whom he declined to identify, and fatally shot her.

“I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old,” the sheriff said.

Moore then allegedly drove to the small Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus, broke into the residence of its pastor, killed pastor Rev. Barry Bradley and his brother, Samuel Bradley, and then stole one of their vehicles, authorities said. Some of Moore’s family reportedly attended that church.

Moore was taken into custody at a roadblock at 11:24 p.m. near where the second shooting occurred and was in possession of a rifle and a handgun, authorities told reporters.

The arrest was made only four-and-a-half hours after the first 911 call about the slayings.

Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.