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Moore -Savannah Morning News file photo
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Progress slow in solving Ashleigh Moore's killing
Last person to see her alive remains in jail; court appearance set for Monday
By Anne Hart
912.652.0374
ahart@savannahnow.com
Two months ago Friday, Ashleigh Moore disappeared from her southside home.
Since then, the 12-year-old's body has been found and buried. Vigils were held and memorials have been erected in her honor.
For loved ones, classmates, even strangers, the main question "Who killed her and why?" has yet to be answered.
No arrests have been made in the slaying of the DeRenne Middle School honor student.
Savannah police detectives continue to investigate, but no charges are expected anytime soon.
"Just because an item like this falls out of the media eye for short period does not mean it has fallen off the radar scope of the Savannah Police Department," said police spokesman Bucky Burnsed. "Now is the time when all the work needs to be done, to make sure any potential cases go forward successfully."
Ashleigh's family members are trying to give Savannah police space to do an accurate investigation, said the Rev. C. MeGill Brown, the Moore's pastor at Second African Baptist Church and family spokesman.
"They are trying to come back to some sense of normalcy, as best as possible, after the roller coaster that they were on," Brown said, "and allow the police department to do its job."
Bobby Buckner -- the last person to see Ashleigh alive--remains in Chatham County jail. He is due to appear in Chatham County Superior Court on Monday, when a date will be set for his probation revocation hearing.
Savannah attorney Michael Schiavone is representing Buckner on the probation violation charge.
Although not charged in Ashleigh's disappearance, Buckner, the live-in boyfriend of her mother, has not been ruled out as a suspect, police said. He has been in jail since the day after Ashleigh disappeared, when he was arrested and charged with violating his probation.
Buckner, 26, was serving a 14-year probation sentence when Ashleigh's mother and her two daughters moved in with him. Buckner had pleaded guilty in 1996 to the molestation and statutory rape of another 12-year-old girl. One condition of his probation barred him from being alone with girls under 16.
Ashleigh's mother was at work when Buckner reported Ashleigh missing April 18, the Friday before Easter, the first day of Ashleigh's spring break.
Schiavone said probation officers were aware of Buckner's living arrangement and did not enforce that condition of his probation until Ashleigh disappeared.
"He lived with this family for seven years," Schiavone said. "They (probation) could have gone in much greater depth to determine if there was every any time that he would be alone with those children."
Probation's responsibility is to check on the probationer, not the work schedules of other adults in the house, said probation officer Jacquelyn Alexander.
"We notify all the adults (in the household) if a person is on probation for a sexual offense against children," Alexander said.
Probation had been aware that Buckner lived with Moore and her daughters in the past, said chief probation officer Joe Cafiero.
"But in the most recent situation, we didn't know there were children in the home," Cafiero said. "In the past we knew, but we didn't know that the relationship was back on again."
Wearing Ashleigh's glasses clasped at her neck and attending searches and vigils, Michelle Moore waited nearly a month for her daughter to return home safely. But on May 14, a fisherman discovered her body in a thicket behind the Marriott hotel, about 200 feet from the Savannah River, and called police.
The body and other evidence was sent to the GBI crime lab for analysis. Police have not released the cause of Ashleigh's death or any details about motive.
The public's attention still is focused on Buckner, who told police that the night before Ashleigh disappeared he had been drinking at a strip club and didn't come home until 4 a.m. He said he was awakened after 6 a.m. by noises.
Ashleigh's 10-year-old sister said Ashleigh shook her awake early that morning and said they were leaving the house. The sister said Buckner came in, pulled Ashleigh by the arm and told her to return to bed, according to a police affidavit filed in court. Investigators later seized towels and a box of condoms from his car after a cadaver dog smelled blood on its door handle. Police have not released the results of tests of any evidence.
Moore -Savannah Morning News file photo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Progress slow in solving Ashleigh Moore's killing
Last person to see her alive remains in jail; court appearance set for Monday
By Anne Hart
912.652.0374
ahart@savannahnow.com
Two months ago Friday, Ashleigh Moore disappeared from her southside home.
Since then, the 12-year-old's body has been found and buried. Vigils were held and memorials have been erected in her honor.
For loved ones, classmates, even strangers, the main question "Who killed her and why?" has yet to be answered.
No arrests have been made in the slaying of the DeRenne Middle School honor student.
Savannah police detectives continue to investigate, but no charges are expected anytime soon.
"Just because an item like this falls out of the media eye for short period does not mean it has fallen off the radar scope of the Savannah Police Department," said police spokesman Bucky Burnsed. "Now is the time when all the work needs to be done, to make sure any potential cases go forward successfully."
Ashleigh's family members are trying to give Savannah police space to do an accurate investigation, said the Rev. C. MeGill Brown, the Moore's pastor at Second African Baptist Church and family spokesman.
"They are trying to come back to some sense of normalcy, as best as possible, after the roller coaster that they were on," Brown said, "and allow the police department to do its job."
Bobby Buckner -- the last person to see Ashleigh alive--remains in Chatham County jail. He is due to appear in Chatham County Superior Court on Monday, when a date will be set for his probation revocation hearing.
Savannah attorney Michael Schiavone is representing Buckner on the probation violation charge.
Although not charged in Ashleigh's disappearance, Buckner, the live-in boyfriend of her mother, has not been ruled out as a suspect, police said. He has been in jail since the day after Ashleigh disappeared, when he was arrested and charged with violating his probation.
Buckner, 26, was serving a 14-year probation sentence when Ashleigh's mother and her two daughters moved in with him. Buckner had pleaded guilty in 1996 to the molestation and statutory rape of another 12-year-old girl. One condition of his probation barred him from being alone with girls under 16.
Ashleigh's mother was at work when Buckner reported Ashleigh missing April 18, the Friday before Easter, the first day of Ashleigh's spring break.
Schiavone said probation officers were aware of Buckner's living arrangement and did not enforce that condition of his probation until Ashleigh disappeared.
"He lived with this family for seven years," Schiavone said. "They (probation) could have gone in much greater depth to determine if there was every any time that he would be alone with those children."
Probation's responsibility is to check on the probationer, not the work schedules of other adults in the house, said probation officer Jacquelyn Alexander.
"We notify all the adults (in the household) if a person is on probation for a sexual offense against children," Alexander said.
Probation had been aware that Buckner lived with Moore and her daughters in the past, said chief probation officer Joe Cafiero.
"But in the most recent situation, we didn't know there were children in the home," Cafiero said. "In the past we knew, but we didn't know that the relationship was back on again."
Wearing Ashleigh's glasses clasped at her neck and attending searches and vigils, Michelle Moore waited nearly a month for her daughter to return home safely. But on May 14, a fisherman discovered her body in a thicket behind the Marriott hotel, about 200 feet from the Savannah River, and called police.
The body and other evidence was sent to the GBI crime lab for analysis. Police have not released the cause of Ashleigh's death or any details about motive.
The public's attention still is focused on Buckner, who told police that the night before Ashleigh disappeared he had been drinking at a strip club and didn't come home until 4 a.m. He said he was awakened after 6 a.m. by noises.
Ashleigh's 10-year-old sister said Ashleigh shook her awake early that morning and said they were leaving the house. The sister said Buckner came in, pulled Ashleigh by the arm and told her to return to bed, according to a police affidavit filed in court. Investigators later seized towels and a box of condoms from his car after a cadaver dog smelled blood on its door handle. Police have not released the results of tests of any evidence.
