A Maryland couple has been sentenced to prison after authorities uncovered years of extreme isolation and neglect that resulted in the tragic death of their 17-year-old daughter.
Dominique Moore, 47, will serve seven years behind bars, with an additional five years of supervised probation. Though he received a 30-year sentence, 23 of those years were suspended, according to court records reviewed by DC News Now. His wife, 42-year-old Cynthia Moore, was sentenced earlier this year to 21 years in prison, The Washington Post reports.
The case unraveled in 2022 when emergency responders were called to the couple’s home after Cynthia reported her daughter was struggling to breathe and had collapsed. When help arrived, they found a severely malnourished teen weighing just 79 pounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Cynthia Moore told officers her daughter had multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and had recently tested positive for COVID-19 — but also admitted the teen hadn’t seen a doctor in over two years.
Investigators would soon uncover much more.
The Moores were indicted on several charges, including second-degree depraved-heart murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child neglect. While Dominique pleaded guilty to child neglect, Cynthia was convicted on similar charges but acquitted of murder.
The court heard disturbing details about the conditions inside the home. The children — seven in total — had been cut off from the outside world, homeschooled in name only, and kept in a house filled with filth. Dog and cat feces covered the floors. The refrigerator was locked. Basic hygiene was never taught.
Judge Jill Cummins described a household where the children were “essentially invisible” to the outside world. Six surviving children, ranging from ages 5 to 15, were removed from the home and placed into the care of Child Protective Services.
In court, prosecutors painted a devastating picture: both parents stood by for months as their teenage daughter’s condition deteriorated. At one point, the girl was too weak to walk. Her siblings were forced to witness her suffering, powerless to help.
One older sibling later told FOX 5 DC how the teen had dreamed of seeing the world — including a long-awaited trip to Japan — but was never given the chance. “He never went anywhere besides movie theaters or the playground,” they said. “He never got to live a life or work or have friends… he just lived his life online and then he died.”
