Father's Killer's Sentence Sparks Family Outrage

Raymond Moore, 44, received a five-year sentence in the state's secure psychiatric unit for the September 2022 fatal stabbing of Daniel Whitmore, 75. Moore admitted to the killing but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The victim's daughter, Shellie Whitmore, told the court Moore should never be released, expressing her family's anguish.

Shellie Whitmore described her father's love for classic rock and peaceful walks, which tragically ended on a trail near Nutt's Pond in Manchester. She conveyed the terror her father must have experienced in his final moments. Much of the case remains sealed in Hillsborough Superior Court.

Despite Judge William Delker finding Moore competent to stand trial previously, the legal proceedings have been lengthy, with the victim's family waiting an "unbearable amount of time." Prosecutor Brian Greklek-McKeon stated the plea was the legally appropriate outcome, anticipating a similar result if the case went to trial.

Moore, speaking in court, discussed his lifelong struggles with mental illness, beginning at age nine. He also pleaded guilty to criminal threatening and falsifying physical evidence against another victim, S.R., and assaulting a corrections officer.

Family members of Daniel Whitmore, including his cousin Brenda Whitmore, granddaughter Justina Whitmore, and ex-wife Pauline Demers, spoke at the hearing. Demers criticized Moore for exploiting the court system and voiced the family's profound loss, stating no sentence could match the void left by his death. Shellie Whitmore reiterated that justice had not been served, given the five-year review period for Moore's potential release.