HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A man found guilty of first degree murder in the September 2017 shooting of a Hutchinson man has had that conviction upheld by the Kansas Supreme Court.
Quinton Moore was convicted of shooting 42-year-old Clarence Allen multiple times while he slept in his bed at a 1700 block of East 30th in Hutchinson. He was sentenced to life in prison. He won't be eligible for parole for 51 years.
In his appeal, Moore argued that his Miranda rights were violated when he suggested that he needed a lawyer while being questioned by police. While Moore made several statements regarding a lawyer, he never directly asked for one. Moore wanted his statements made to law enforcement suppressed. The motion was denied.
Moore also argued that the prosecution made an error during closing arguments. While the Supreme Court agreed they ruled the error was not enough to overcome the evidence against the defendant.
The case started when police responded to a 911 call the morning of September 22 and found Allen dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Police identified Moore as a suspect and found him at a local hospital.
When Moore was discharged later that morning, he agreed to go with police to the Hutchinson Law Enforcement Center for questioning. Initially, Moore denied involvement in the shooting, but he eventually confessed to buying a gun about a month earlier and shooting Allen.