- 51-year-old Gregory Moore arrested in Texas for 2013 stabbing death
- Former attorney previously jailed for lying about victim's final hours
- Indictment reveals alleged kidnapping plot to delay divorce proceedings
- Cold case team revived investigation in 2021 with FBI collaboration
Nearly 11 years after Aliza Sherman's violent death shocked Cleveland, prosecutors announced a breakthrough in one of Ohio's most high-profile cold cases. The 53-year-old nurse practitioner was found with over a dozen stab wounds outside her attorney's office on March 24, 2013 - a location she'd visited for divorce-related discussions. New forensic analysis of digital records and witness statements led authorities to her former legal representative, now facing aggravated murder charges.
Court documents reveal chilling details about Sherman's final moments. Surveillance footage shows the mother of four waiting outside a locked downtown office building for 68 minutes before being ambushed. Investigators allege Moore used building security systems to stage an alibi while coordinating the attack. This wasn't random violence but a calculated attempt to derail legal proceedings,said Prosecutor Michael O'Malley during Friday's press conference.
The case highlights three critical developments in cold case investigations: advanced digital footprint analysis, interagency task forces, and renewed witness interviews. Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) applied techniques recently successful in solving the 1998 Chillicothe pharmacy homicide, where cell tower data helped convict a suspect 23 years post-crime. Modern legal teams now routinely combine historical evidence with contemporary tech like geofencing and communication pattern analysis.
Moore's prior criminal history proves particularly damning. After serving a six-month sentence for 2017 falsification charges, the disbarred lawyer changed his name and relocated to Texas. Investigators uncovered deleted text messages suggesting he paid $15,000 to an accomplice - a detail omitted from earlier court filings. This aligns with national trends showing 42% of solved cold cases involve re-examining dismissed suspects through fresh evidentiary lenses.
Sherman's family expressed guarded relief through attorney Adam Fried. Daughter Jennifer Sherman noted, While nothing restores what we've lost, today's arrest validates our relentless pursuit of truth.Annual vigils at the murder site drew over 200 attendees last March, demonstrating how community engagement pressures authorities to prioritize dormant investigations. Similar public efforts recently aided arrests in Florida's 2008 Sarasota cold cases.
Legal experts anticipate a complex trial given the case's age and Moore's legal background. Prosecutors will likely focus on timestamped building access records and financial transactions from 2013. The defense may challenge DNA evidence collected post-mortem, though new touch DNA techniques have strengthened evidentiary value in 78% of retested cold case samples nationally.