Freed: June 14, 2023
Incarcerated 29 years, 8 days
On June 14, 2023, Larry Moses was released on bond after 29 years of incarceration on a life sentence for a crime he had nothing to do with. Mr. Moses was convicted in Orleans Parish in 1995 based on the false testimony from a witness with serious mental health issues who came forward six months after the crime and only after seeing Mr. Moses with his former girlfriend. Mr. Moses was spared the death sentence by a single vote at his sentencing hearing.
On January 4, 1994, Alma Causey and Daniel Ratliff were shot and killed during an armed robbery in New Orleans, Louisiana. For nearly six months this horrific crime went unsolved. On June 6, 1994, Frederick Stamps contacted the police and told them he saw Mr. Moses kill Ms. Causey and Mr. Ratliff. His testimony, plus the testimony from a woman who was only about 70% sure that the robber’s voice she heard on the night of the murders was that of Mr. Moses, formed the crux of the State’s case. The voice identification witness came forward only after she was told that Mr. Moses was already named as a shooter by another witness.
Based on these two testimonies, Mr. Moses was convicted and sentenced to life. No physical evidence tied him to the crime. The sole eyewitness’s motivation to lie about Mr. Moses was never disclosed to the defense.
Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO) began investigating Mr. Moses’s case and uncovered information—known by the State but never disclosed—that significantly called into question the credibility and accuracy of the eyewitness identification of Mr. Moses. The State’s star witness, Mr. Stamps, had a documented history of mental illness, including being medicated for schizophrenia. The State also had information about how Mr. Stamps had a history of making false claims against perceived romantic rivals. Mr. Stamps’ statement fingering Mr. Moses to the crime happened soon after he saw Mr. Moses with his ex-girlfriend and believed Mr. Moses to be a threat to his romantic interest. IPNO additionally uncovered Mr. Stamps’ inconsistent accounts of the crime and that he admitted to others that he was setting up Mr. Moses because he wanted to get back at him.
In contrast to the State’s unreliable case based on an untrustworthy eyewitness, Mr. Moses had multiple alibi witnesses who confirmed that he was staying with family in Bogalusa, Louisiana, on the day of the crime, and was nowhere near the crime.
On May 25, 2023, Mr. Moses was granted Post-Conviction Relief by Judge Kimya M. Holmes based on the fact that the prosecutors hid evidence in Mr. Moses’ original trial. On June 14, 2023, Mr. Moses was released on bond after over 29 years of wrongful incarceration. He looks forward to reconnecting with family after many years apart and continuing to fight for his full freedom.
