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Charges certified to grand jury for men in Sussex Co. murder investigation

Posted at 3:34 PM, Aug 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-21 11:10:00-04

SUSSEX COUNTY, Va. — Two men had charges against them certified to grand jury on Monday that stem from the murder of a former University of Mary Washington graduate student.

Christopher Jared Crowder

Both men, Christopher Crowder and Erick Obando, had the charges of murder, robbery, transportation of a dead body and disposing of a body on private property certified against them.

Obando, 24, Crowder, 18, and a juvenile man were arrested February 1 in connection to the January 12 death of 36-year-old Kenneth Moore.

Court documents state Obando and Crowder jumped Kenneth Moore while at a gas station in Prince George County in January. Eyewitnesses told police they saw Crowder kicking and hitting Moore, while Obando slit his throat.

A hunter discovered Moore’s body inside two trash bags in a ditch on Route 35 the day after the attack. Documents state Moore’s body was transported in Crowder’s Jeep to the dump site.

Investigators confirm Moore had trauma to his head and neck and died from bleeding out.

Erick Obando

Moore was an artist and a graduate student at the University of Mary Washington.

News 3 spoke to Moore’s mother, Patti Bass, after her son was found dead. She said he was robbed of his phone, wallet, backpack and laptop before his death.

Further information about the juvenile arrested in this case has not been provided.

Both Obando and Crowder will be back in court on September 11 at 11 a.m. in Sussex Circuit Court.

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