The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld a murder conviction and life in prison sentence for a Gainesville woman involved in a 2015 murder of a Hall County cab driver.
Misty Sunshine Moran appealed her convictions and sentence, claiming the evidence was insufficient to prove her guilt. In an opinion released Monday, the justices said they disagreed, as there was evidence of malice.
“Appellant [i.e. Moran] made admissions that she shot the victim as he tried to escape and while he was begging for his life... The evidence was sufficient to authorize a rational trier of fact to find appellant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of malice murder, as well as the other crimes for which she was convicted,” the Supreme Court concluded. “Judgment affirmed. All the Justices concur.”
The opinion said Moran was nearly 40 when she was convicted in the murder of Isaias Tovar-Murillo, a 46-year-old taxi cab driver. She and her associates, who were in their 20's, conspired to rob a taxi cab driver after an unsuccessful crime spree. She was also known to be involved in gang activity.
Moran shot Tovar-Murillo when he tried to escape the car after Moran put a gun to his head. Moran told a friend she had killed some one the next day, and the friend contacted authorities. She was indicted in March 2015 with four other codefendants on 17 counts, including malice murder, felony murder based on criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault, gun charges and participation in criminal gang activity, including the street gangs SUR 13 and BOE 23. She was found guilty on all charges except for one gun charge and sentenced to life in prison without parole after her trial in October 2015.
Three of her codefendants pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery, violation of the Georgia Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, and other crimes to avoid prosecution for felony murder. The fourth was still awaiting a hearing on her case. Moran appealed shortly after her conviction.
