An inmate on Rikers Island, charged with murdering an elderly Upper West Side woman in 2023, died Monday in Manhattan Crown Court, officials said.
Terrence Moore, 55, was asserted that he suffered from a medical episode and died around 5pm despite efforts to save his life.
He was in court for a hearing scheduled for which he was ultimately abandoned until next month, his lawyer said in an interview.
Moore and another suspect were arrested in January 2023 for the calm murder of 74-year-old Maria Hernandez.
He faced murder and robbery charges before his death.
Moore served 27 years in a state prison after being convicted of second-degree murder and other charges in another case. According to the Records, he was placed on parole for life after it was released in 2017.
His lawyer, Glen Hardy, said he didn't tell him about the health issues that his clients had represented him for two years.
He also denied that he was involved in Hernandez's murder, Hardy said.
“He was a gentleman forever, never a problem, always polite and respectful, he maintained his innocence,” the lawyer said.
Moore was taken into custody at the North Clinic headquarters, which houses Riker prisoners who are medical and disabled, although also owned by men of a general population.
Moore traveled to court on Monday for the results of his mental assessment, but was delayed until March 28th, as Hardy was in the middle of another trial.
“Our deepest sympathy lies in the people Moore's loved ones,” the chairman of Lynelle Maginley-Liddle said in a statement.
“We will thoroughly investigate this tragic event and determine the circumstances surrounding his death.”
Attempts to contact Hernandez's family failed Tuesday evening.
Her sister, Maria Terrero, remembered her murdered brother as “very kind, loving and caring.”
“She never had [any problems with anyone]” she said in 2023. “I think that person was looking for someone else.”
Last Wednesday, 38-year-old Ramel Powell became the first person to die in a city prison this year. No details of his death are provided.
The corrections sector faces ongoing criticism of the horrifying situation at the Rikers Island prison complex that could lead to federal takeovers.
