Johnny T. Moore was found guilty of three charges Friday, which includes murder for the Aug. 28, 2016, death of Bloomington resident and heroin dealer Brittany Sater.
“Yes,” Sater’s mother said loudly enough that she was chastised by the bailiff, as the verdict was announced.
Moore’s head fell back as he heard the word, “guilty,” and he cried after all three convictions were read.
Moore, 32, faces 45 to 65 years for the murder conviction and additional time for his other two convictions for burglary and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. His sentencing is scheduled for May 8.
Because Sater was an addict, her mother, Deanna Hawkins, said she worried the jury would think her daughter was worthless. She said the jury’s verdict proved the opposite.
“Her life was worth something,” Hawkins said.
Police and prosecutors presented a case that agreed with Moore’s statement to police saying he was never inside Sater’s home when she was robbed and killed. He said he was outside in a car.
Moore told police after his arrest he only went to Sater’s house to sell her 40 grams of heroin and did not plan or participate in the burglary, robbery or murder.
However, after testimony from Billie Jean “BJ” Edison, the police believed Moore planned the burglary and robbery that lead to Sater’s death.
Edison faces the same charges as Moore, and she said she participated in the robbery under Moore’s direction. She said she believes she will get a plea deal for testifying against Moore.
Dennis Webb also faces the same three charges as Moore and Edison, and Edison told police Webb was the one who shot Sater. Sater told police before she died of an AK-47 shot to the stomach that the man with Edison at her house had shot her.
Edison and Webb will both face trial unless either receives a plea deal.
Five members of Sater’s family attended the reading of the verdict and expressed gratitude for the convictions.
“I was just so happy they found him guilty of all three,” Hawkins said. “It gives me hope for the other two.”
Sater was Hawkins’ second child who died young and unexpectedly. Odessa Hoggat, another of her three daughters, was killed in a car accident in 2005 at age 17.
Hawkins said that Sater was a loving, outgoing person, who dreamed of getting sober and having a steady job.
When she was sober for a 9-month period recently, Hawkins said that her daughter called her often to ask if she needed anything and once gave her $700 without provocation to pay off a month of her mother’s rent.
“She’s missed everyday,” Hawkins said. “I go to work. I go to the graveyard. I go home. That’s all I do.”
As Sater’s family cried, Moore walked toward the door.
Before exiting, he tossed his tissue in the trash, and after a moment of hesitation, chucked his notepad, too.
