SILVER SPRING, Md. — A man accused of shooting a convenience store clerk to death, leading to the discovery of a pregnant woman's decomposing body in his apartment, has been found not competent to stand trial.
Torrey Moore appeared in court Monday, facing charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a violent crime for the death of Ayalew Wondimu. Moore allegedly shot Wondimu to death while the victim was working at a convenience store in Silver Spring.
The Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office said Monday, Moore was found not competent to stand trial. In six months, Moore will face a second competency hearing scheduled for June 13, 2023, as well as a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 6, 2023.
Moore has also been accused of killing 26-year-old Denise Middleton and her unborn child, who he claimed he was in a relationship with when she died more than a month before her body was discovered.
Middleton's body was found while police were serving a search warrant related to the shooting death of a convenience store clerk on Dec. 8. They entered and found Middleton's body in an "advanced state of decomposition." Officials believe Moore was living in the apartment alongside Middleton's body. At the time of his arrest, police say Moore told investigators that he was in a relationship with Middleton and that the two allegedly got into an argument that led to her death.
Middleton was 38 weeks pregnant when she was killed, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).
State’s Attorney John McCarthy said Moore will be charged with the death of Middleton and her unborn child. An arraignment is planned for those charges after the Department of Corrections transports Moore to the Central Processing Unit.
In a press conference Monday, McCarthy said the expert who dictated the evaluation found Moore not competent to stand trial and also a danger to himself and to others if he was released into the community.
McCarthy claims Moore requested to be released to pre-trial services during the hearing, a request that was denied.
"It important to note, that [Moore] is not free in the community," McCarthy said. "He is being held without bond because of the dangerousness even though it is still pending as an evaluation for competency. He is not free in the community."
Moore will likely be transported to Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center for another evaluation for both of the violent crimes he is accused of committing, according to McCarthy.
MCPD found the body of a woman who was believed to be pregnant. She was found when police searched the home of a man say shot and killed a convenience store clerk.