Jude2ers from North Alabama

jdavis · Postby **jdavis** » February 23rd, 2010, 9:44 am

Just watched the CBS special on the Tipton/Moore saga. It portrayed Moore as being railroaded, Tipton's husband as the most likely suspect, Decatur police as being narrowly focused on Moore, and Judge Thompson as being the hero. Not to mention the Assistant States Attorney...... Accurate description or media slant? The story left me a little disturbed. I know that the wrong people get convicted and the police will seldom admit when they get it wrong but from the way the story was portrayed this seems to be more than normal.
Any thoughts??

Postby **Pastor Gary** » February 23rd, 2010, 10:53 am

I watched that show, and thought "I wonder if Tim knows anything about this case?" :lol:

Looked like -- from their edit at least -- an innocent man was convicted and the perp remains free.

jdavis · Postby **jdavis** » February 23rd, 2010, 1:27 pm

I watched that show, and thought "I wonder if Tim knows anything about this case?"

That was my thoughts also. Maybe he can shed some light on the personalities involved. The defense attorney/farmer seemed like an interesting character, right out of a John Grisham novel.

dolfan · Postby **dolfan** » February 23rd, 2010, 3:13 pm

I didn't see it. Well, I saw it happen in real life, but didn't see the show. A few things are true as I see them.

1. The attorney from the AG's office who personally prosecuted the case so grossly violated the rules that this thing had to be tried three times before Moore was acquitted. It took 10 years.

2. Evidence was hidden. Moore's confession was never written or recorded, and was made, if made at all, to an uncle who testified to Moore's confession.

3. Karen Tipton was butchered so severely that there's no way anyone could imagine it. It was not a drug addict's act to get money for drugs. Daniel Moore was a drug addict, without a doubt. He was known before the Tipton murder for being a user.

4. I personally believe Daniel Moore was in that house at some point. I do not personally believe he was involved in Tipton's murder. I do not know or have an opinion on who killed her. I do believe her husband knows who killed her.

5. Judge Thompson did the right thing and the Alabama Supreme Court backhanded him for it by removing him from the case. The corrupt and incompetent prosecution of that case was astounding, but no one wants to accuse a prosecutor of being so zealous that he breaks the rules. That's impossible here. So, instead of dismissing the charges and rendering a not guilty judgment, the Alabama Supreme Court allowed Daniel Moore to sit in jail for 8 years or so, and he was on bail but under a very short leash for the latter part of the case, and he was finally acquitted on trial #3 (1st was conviction but reversed due to the extreme prosecutorial misconduct; 2nd was hung jury; 3rd was an acquittal).

6. Sherman Powell, Jr., who actually represented my father in my parents' divorce 37 years ago, represented Daniel Wade Moore from start to finish. He is a heck of a trial lawyer, an old country boy from here in Morgan County and the son of a former judge, with a reputation as a scoundrel. But, I have a truckload and more respect for him myself.

That "farmer" persona is genuine, but he's no hick. He's an accomplished pilot and a big game hunter. He's had a fast life. He's probably the most successful local attorney I know in terms of winning people's trust.

jinjer · Postby **jinjer** » February 23rd, 2010, 4:53 pm

I was working in Decatur as a nurse for a group of physicians, at the time of the murder. We were even looking at some houses on Chapel Hill Road, where the Tipton's lived and the murder took place. I knew from word around town, as Tim said, that Daniel Wade Moore was a drug user/seeker. I never thought he murdered Karen Tipton. Like Tim, I do think he was in the house. One thing Tim didn't say that I knew from conversations around town, Karen Tipton was no angel. She was a "rounder" to use an old term. I personally think David Tipton was an unusual person and they had a colorful marriage. Of course, all that doesn't make you a murderer. However, I think he knows more than he's saying. I have watched him be interviewed over the years, and his eye contact is just not that of someone telling the whole story. He also presents himself rather arrogantly. These are just my opinions, formed from conversations around town and my view of the evidence, such as it was.

I didn't watch the 48 hours story. So, I can't really speak to their prospective

Jinjer

PS Tim can correct me, but I believe there was DNA evidence that did not point to Daniel Wade Moore, that report hasn't been released, if I'm not mistaken. If I am mistaken I will edit this. But that is my understanding.

jdavis · Postby **jdavis** » February 23rd, 2010, 7:27 pm

From the TV story they did portray Karen Tipton as being wild.
According to the story Moore had been in the house to install an alarm system a few weeks prior to the murder.
It appears that the police let Tipton in after the murder and he erased part of the hard drive on his computer. They played the 911 tape of Tipton calling in the murder and he did not seem upset at all.
Someone should write a book.

dolfan · Postby **dolfan** » February 24th, 2010, 11:14 am

jinjer wrote:I was working in Decatur as a nurse for a group of physicians, at the time of the murder. We were even looking at some houses on Chapel Hill Road, where the Tipton's lived and the murder took place. I knew from word around town, as Tim said, that Daniel Wade Moore was a drug user/seeker. I never thought he murdered Karen Tipton. Like Tim, I do think he was in the house. One thing Tim didn't say that I knew from conversations around town, Karen Tipton was no angel. She was a "rounder" to use an old term. I personally think David Tipton was an unusual person and they had a colorful marriage. Of course, all that doesn't make you a murderer. However, I think he knows more than he's saying. I have watched him be interviewed over the years, and his eye contact is just not that of someone telling the whole story. He also presents himself rather arrogantly. These are just my opinions, formed from conversations around town and my view of the evidence, such as it was.

I didn't watch the 48 hours story. So, I can't really speak to their prospective

Jinjer

PS Tim can correct me, but I believe there was DNA evidence that did not point to Daniel Wade Moore, that report hasn't been released, if I'm not mistaken. If I am mistaken I will edit this. But that is my understanding.

Dr. Tipton is as crazy as an outhouse rat, IMO. That's a personal opinion. I don't know if he's responsible for his wife's death. No one ever will. I think it is far more likely that Amy Bishop will be charged with murdering her brother and sending a pipe bomb to the doctor's house than Dr. Tipton being tagged with his wife's demise.

This one thing I know: If I was Daniel Wade Moore, I'd move far, far away from Morgan County, Alabama. Far away. Like Montana or El Paso or something.

jinjer · Postby **jinjer** » February 24th, 2010, 4:54 pm

I agree with you Tim about Dr. Tipton being crazy and I too would move far away if I were Daniel.

This case and the attention received and how the story has been told, reminds me of the Dr. Wilson (eye doctor) case here in Huntsville. I don't think we will know the truth about all of those.

Jinjer

Jude 2