A King County judge has found probable cause to charge a 15-year-old driver with second-degree murder on Sept. 10 after the driver turned herself in for allegedly killing a Maple Valley man in a hit-and-run in July.
The 15-year-old alleged driver in the July fatal hit-and-run of a 53-year-old Maple Valley man turned herself in to detectives on Thursday, Sept. 9, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office, only a day after the agency announced they had identified her as a suspect and recovered the vehicle from the incident.
Greg Moore was fatally struck Sunday, July 18 in the 23800 block of Southeast 216th Street near Maple Valley when out for a morning jog. A swell of community support and tips helped detectives make progress in the case, according to the Sheriff’s Office, leading to their Sept. 7 announcement that detectives had recovered the Toyota Camry involved in the crash and were processing it for evidence.
The judge found probable cause for charges of second-degree murder and hit-and-run. The teen did not appear at the hearing and remains in custody. Due to her age, juvenile court does not provide first appearance documents in the same way as provided in adult cases which details some of the specifics of the alleged crime.
A charging decision and documents are expected by Tuesday, Sept. 14, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The suspected driver of that vehicle, a 15-year-old girl, was still at large when the sheriff’s office announced Sept. 8 that they had found the vehicle and identified her as a suspect. The agency has not yet publicly named her and will turn the case over to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to determine the charges against her.
The day after that announcement, the agency said, the girl surrendered without incident at the agency’s SeaTac precinct.
“We hope this arrest brings some closure for Greg’s family and a community touched by his loss,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“Nothing will bring Greg home, but I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the MARR (Major Accident Response and Reconstruction) detectives who have worked this case tirelessly since July,” King County Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht said in a prepared statement. “I also want to express my gratitude to the Maple Valley community, who refused to let Greg’s memory fade.”
Detectives used headlight fragments found near the scene, along with surveillance and other evidence, to track down the Toyota Camry. Detectives believe this Camry may have been traveling with another vehicle, around 6:15 a.m., in the vicinity of the collision with Moore, who was found along the roadside.
Moore grew up in Issaquah lived in Maple Valley for over 25 years, according to information posted by his wife Michelle Moore on a gofundme.com account for Greg Moore started in July. The account had raised $38,660 as of Sept. 10.
Moore posted on Sept. 3 that funds would be used to help find the driver of the hit-and-run.
“I want to thank everyone for their generosity and support,” Moore said. “We have decided to use some of the funds raised here to hire a private investigator for this case. If we receive no tips leading to an arrest by 10/18/2021 the remaining funds will be used for funeral expenses and bills.”
She said people could get a refund of their money if they disagreed with that plan.
Kent Reporter reporter Steve Hunter contributed to this story.
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This image was shared by the King County Sheriff’s Office in announcing they had identified the driver in the fatal hit and run of a Maple Valley man. COURTESY PHOTO, King County Sheriff’s Office
