A 32-Year-Old Cold Case Finally Solved: Man Convicted of 1991 Murder of Teenage Girl in Georgia
A decades-old cold case has been solved, bringing long-awaited justice to the family of a teenage girl who was tragically killed in 1991. After 32 years, a jury has found a 50-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of a 17-year-old girl from Malden, Georgia.
The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office was able to shed light on the case two years ago, reigniting the investigation into the murder of Patricia Tricia Moreno. This breakthrough has finally given answers to a family that has been waiting for justice for over three decades.
The incident took place on July 20, 1991, at an apartment in Malden, where Moreno lived with her foster mother, her foster mother’s two teenage daughters, and the convicted man, Rodney Daniels, who was the boyfriend of the older daughter. Moreno was shot in the head while standing on the fire escape outside her apartment, resulting in her tragic death.
At the time of the incident, the individuals present in the apartment claimed to have heard gunshots but were unaware of who had shot Moreno. There were no signs of forced entry into the home. Daniels initially told police that he had been sleeping in the living room when the shots woke him up. He then went out onto the fire escape and discovered Moreno’s lifeless body. However, it was her foster mother who made the distress call to 911 that night.
During the reinvestigation in 2020, authorities discovered that Daniels owned a handgun that matched the bullet used to kill Moreno. Furthermore, it was revealed that Daniels had engaged in threatening behavior towards her in the weeks leading up to her death. Despite these crucial findings, there was not enough evidence to make an arrest at the time.
Investigators reconstructed the crime scene and determined that the shooter had been standing in the doorway of the apartment based on the bullet’s trajectory and the entry wound. Witness interviews were reopened, leading investigators to contact a new witness who resided in the apartment below Moreno’s on the night of the murder. This witness reported being awakened by a loud noise and witnessed Moreno struggling to breathe while a man matching Daniels’ description stood over her before retreating back into the apartment.
Additionally, an alibi witness who had protected Daniels in 1991 later admitted to friends and family that he was responsible for Moreno’s murder. This witness revealed that Daniels had hidden the murder weapon inside an armchair and eventually disposed of it. Regrettably, the witness, who could have played a significant role in solving the case, had already passed away. Their fear of prosecution had prevented them from coming forward with this crucial information for over three decades.
Armed with this newfound evidence, prosecutors obtained an arrest warrant for Daniels from Malden District Court. In September 2021, he was apprehended in his South Fulton home in Georgia, charged as a fugitive from justice, and subsequently transported to Massachusetts.
This breakthrough in a long-standing cold case serves as a testament to the tireless efforts of law enforcement and the courage of those who came forward with vital information. The conviction of Rodney Daniels brings a sense of closure to Tricia Moreno’s loved ones, who have endured the pain of loss for far too long. While the passage of time cannot fully heal such wounds, the resolution of this case finally holds someone accountable for the devastation caused by Moreno’s murder.
