Leslie Crossley

On the evening of January 22, 2024, Leslie Crossley, a 35-year-old White woman, was a passenger in a friend's car traveling through Lakewood, Washington. As they drove along Chicago Avenue Southwest, their journey was violently interrupted by the sound of gunfire. A bullet struck Leslie in the head, and in the terrifying moments that followed, her friend, who was driving, sped away from the scene.

The driver, who was grazed by a bullet, pulled into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn Express on Pacific Highway Southwest and frantically called for help. First responders arrived to find Leslie in the passenger seat with a grave gunshot wound. Despite their life-saving efforts, she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation into Leslie's death quickly pointed to a planned and targeted attack rather than a random act of violence. Nearly a month later, on February 20, 2024, the Lakewood Special Response Team arrested 39-year-old Larie Edward Moorer in connection with the homicide. Investigators learned that Moorer and Leslie had been in a romantic relationship. The motive for the shooting allegedly stemmed from accusations that Leslie had stolen narcotics from Moorer, leading to a fatal act of retaliation.

At the time of the shooting, Moorer was out on bail for separate charges. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Larie Moorer later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Leslie Crossley. He was convicted and sentenced for the crime, and the case is now considered closed.

As the legal proceedings concluded, those who knew Leslie were left to mourn the loss of a woman remembered by her family as a funny and good mother to her 15-year-old son.