In the spring of 2016, the life of a young Louisville man, 21-year-old Tyrone Booker Jr., was cut tragically short. On Easter Sunday, March 27th, gunshots echoed in an alley off of East Oak Street. When police arrived, they found Booker, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. He was rushed to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, leaving behind a young son and a family reeling from the sudden violence that had shattered their holiday.
Friends and family, who knew him as TJ, gathered in the same alley for a candlelight vigil, grappling with the loss of a young man whose future had seemed to be on an upward trajectory.
Booker's life had already been marked by a significant public struggle. He was one of four young men who came to be known as the 'Misidentified Four.' Two years prior to his death, he and three others were wrongfully arrested and jailed for more than two months in connection with mob violence in downtown Louisville. The city later acknowledged the mistake, and the four were awarded a $1.5 million settlement. His family said he had planned to use his experience to encourage other young people. After enduring such a public ordeal, his life was reportedly getting back on track, making his sudden death all the more devastating for his loved ones.
The investigation into the shooting led Louisville Metro Police to two brothers, Kentrey Moore and Terrance Moore Jr. Authorities determined that the fatal encounter was the result of a pre-planned drug deal that escalated into a robbery and homicide. Both brothers were arrested and charged in connection with Booker's death. Police stated they did not believe the prior settlement money was a motive for the crime.
Ultimately, Kentrey and Terrance Moore faced justice for their roles in the killing. The brothers pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter. For their crimes, Kentrey Moore was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Terrance Moore Jr. received a longer sentence of 22 years, which also included a charge for being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, bringing a close to the case that ended a young father's life.
