lma Causey and Daniel Ratcliff were gunned down in New Orleans in the early hours of January 4, 1994. They were found in the street, Ms. Causey dead at the scene, Mr. Ratcliff dying shortly after in the hospital. There was one eyewitness to the crime, who reported to police that she looked out of her window after hearing a demand for money. She saw an unknown Black male pointing a gun at the victims and heard gunshots after turning from her window. The shooter, who had been alone, was gone when she looked again. Her description of him did not match Larry Moses in height, weight, or build. Six months later, a witness who’d lost a fight with Mr. Moses reported that he’d been robbed and beaten. This witness claimed that his ex-girlfriend, whom Mr. Moses was dating, lured him from the street. He was beaten with a gun and robbed. That witness, just over a week later, claimed to police that he was at the scene and witnessed Mr. Moses committing the January murder. He also reported that Mr. Moses had won a fight they had over his ex-girlfriend. By the time of the jury trial, both witnesses implicated Mr. Moses – the initial witness now claiming that she’d witnessed the actual shooting and tentatively identifying Mr. Moses by voice. Mr. Moses was convicted of two counts of first degree murder and sentenced to life, despite the fact that numerous family witnesses testified that he was not in New Orleans that day.
Innocence & Justice Louisiana’s investigation started in 2022, leading to new witness information that was never disclosed nor heard by the jury. This new information included evidence of the alleged eyewitness lying about other men that he considered romantic rivals and admitting that he set up Mr. Moses for breaking his arm and dating his ex-girlfriend. We also uncovered new testimonial evidence that supported what Mr. Moses always claimed: he wasn’t in New Orleans on the date of the crime. The court found that the state concealed exculpatory evidence at trial and Mr. Moses was granted post-conviction relief in May 2023. He was released on bond after over 29 years of wrongful incarceration and finally exonerated in July 2023.
