56 days of life: Timeline of Sincere Moore's life, death and the resulting trial dismissal
Joyce Orlando
Sincere Emmanuel Moore was just seven weeks old when he died on Sept. 3, 2018. The autopsy of the infant told the story of a traumatic and violent 56 days of life.
The person accused in Sincere's death? His father, Stephen Moore.
For the last four years, Stephen Moore waited in the Cleveland County jail, held on a $2 million bond, for his trial to start. Faced with first-degree murder and child abuse charges, the man’s trial began Tuesday, Sept. 13, after a day of jury selection. It lasted just seven days before the case was dismissed.
So, just how did this come to be? The story unfolded at a home in the Light Oak community in Shelby.
What happened in September 2018?
His mother told investigators that the child woke up crying that day, and she left him with his father while she went to make a bottle. When his mother returned, the child’s breathing was labored, she told police. The baby was taken to a hospital in Charlotte where he died the next day.
Less than 24 hours later, Stephen Moore was charged with first-degree murder.
Just two days after the death of his child, Stephen Moore made his first appearance in Cleveland County District Court where he told the judge and assistant district attorney that he was mourning the death of Sincere.
"This is devastating to me," he said in court on Sept. 5, 2018.
Stephen Moore would spend the next four years in jail.
Child abuse charge added:Child abuse charge added for man accused of killing his son
A timeline of abuse
In the opening of the murder trial, both the state and the defense spoke of the infant's 56 days of life and details of the abuse he suffered.
In the time leading up to Sincere's death, he had visited the doctor and hospital multiple times in his short seven weeks.
He was fussy, gassy, constipated. He had acid reflux and a hernia. Those diagnoses were given during the flurry of visits with medical professionals. What wasn’t diagnosed were his internal injuries, his fractured ribs.
An autopsy report would later show brain bleeds, a healing liver laceration and multiple fractures.
Remembering Sincere in the years that followed
As a father sat in jail, the rest of Sincere's family called for justice shortly after he was charged.
Sincere's grandfather, Bryant Wilson spoke with The Star just days after hearing that his grandson had died. He wanted justice, but was upset to hear about the violence inflicted on a small child.
Sincere Moore's grandfather speaks:Grandfather wants justice for slain infant
“I just want the strongest penalty for him and anyone else who had anything to do with it,” Wilson said after a bond hearing on Sept. 10, 2018.
At the time, Wilson said he’s sorry any child would be killed by violence.
“I just hate that this child had to go through this,” he said. “It hurts, but I know God knows best, and I know God is going to work it out.”
And as the years went by the child was remembered.
In July of 2019, Destiny Byers, Sincere's mother, threw a birthday celebration for what should have been her baby's first birthday. Byers had family and friends there to remember Sincere and his short life with a cake with his face on it and a table full of photos and candles that spelled out his name.
“I know my son is gone, but he is still here,” she said that day.
Four years in jail awaiting trial to end in a dismissal
In a court hearing in April, it was addressed why Stephen Moore waited so long for his time in court.
Assistant District Attorney Kevin Sherriff told the judge that a combination of inheriting the case a couple of years later from another prosecutor combined with COVID-19 restrictions for trials contributed to the delay. But it would go to trial that summer.
On Tuesday, Sept. 13, it did.
Superior Court Judge Todd Pomeroy granted the defense’s request to dismiss the case after much discussion following closing of the state’s evidence. During discussions in open court, Pomeroy asked questions regarding the circumstantial case.
Pomeroy said in court that his decision was not a determination of guilt or innocence, rather a determination of a proper case to hand to a jury.
The identity of the person who inflicted repeated abuse on Sincere Moore in his 56 days of life may never be known.
Joyce Orlando is a Digital Producer with the South DOT. She can be reached at jorlando@gannett.com.
Diane Turbyfill with The Shelby Star contributed to this report.