Minneapolis man convicted in domestic violence murder of Kesha Moore
A jury convicted a Minneapolis man on Tuesday in the domestic abuse-related murder of 43-year-old Kesha Moore in 2023.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says 52-year-old Johnny Leroy Brown was convicted of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse, which carries a mandatory life sentence with parole. He was also found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder and a count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Moore was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head on Dec. 17, 2023, inside her south Minneapolis apartment. The criminal complaint states Brown first called 911 to report the shooting, saying Moore had pulled a gun on him during a fight and accidentally shot herself.
The complaint states Moore's cousin told police at the scene Brown had called them and confessed to the shooting. Police say Brown turned off his cellphone that day and bought a new one the next day. He was soon traced to north Minneapolis, where police arrested him — while out with a new girlfriend — during a traffic stop.
Brown later told police his fight with Moore began over allegations of his cheating. He claimed he went to grab the handgun from her but the trigger was accidentally pulled, the complaint states. He told police he was drunk during the fight and didn't remember much.
Investigators determined Moore was shot by a 9 mm bullet, and she was a registered owner of a 9 mm handgun, but officers never found the weapon. Police said her handgun required a trigger-pull force of at least 5 lbs, placing doubt on his claim that it was an accident.
Brown was convicted in 2007 of illegal firearm possession after he fired a handgun round into the air during a fight with a former girlfriend, the complaint states.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty says her office's case against Brown was bolstered by the testimonies of five women who were survivors of his abuse.
"This horrific murder was part of a pattern of domestic violence by Mr. Brown against women in his life, including Kesha and many past partners," Moriarty said. "Kesha deserved better, and we will keep fighting to ensure that survivors of domestic violence have the resources they need to escape."
In a statement, Moore's mother, Debra, said in part, "We are happy that Kesha got justice… Thank you to the previous victims who came forward. We hope they have gotten their power back and this case brought closure to a lot of women… [Kesha] was everything to us."
Members of Moore's family may choose to share victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing set for March 13.
Hennepin County records show since the start of 2024, the county attorney's office has prosecuted more than 2,100 domestic violence cases, the second-most common offense. That number has increased by nearly 50% since 2016.
Moriarty is concerned that federal funding cuts will cause organizations that support survivors to shut down.
"There's already a gap in services for domestic violence survivors," she said. "We do not have enough resources in community to be able to help people in these situations."
World Health Organization data shows one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lives.
Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
