A Florida man killed his girlfriend after an argument. Now, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Last week, a Pasco County judge sentenced Collin Knapp for the murder of his girlfriend, Kathleen Moore, 34. A jury convicted Knapp of first-degree premeditated murder after two hours of deliberation.
"Relieved that after two years it's finally over. It's not all the closure we're looking for, but it's 99 percent of the closure we need. Kathleen was in the courtroom and saw him get life in prison and knows that was all the peace that we were all looking for and knows that we can all finally relax a little knowing that she got the justice she deserves," said the victim’s lifelong friend Nicole Wallen after the verdict, according to WTSP.
In November 2021, her boss, Jaimie Poe, reported Moore missing after she and Knapp were on a night out with friends in Largo. No one heard from the victim again, despite several calls to her cell phone, which went straight to her voicemail. According to prosecutors, Moore’s phone was found in a dumpster near a homeless man in New Port Richey. A week later, her body was found covered in a thick brush 50 yards from the defendant’s home.
Initially, the 32-year-old Knapp told investigators his on-and-off girlfriend took her belongings and left his residence. However, authorities found no evidence corroborating his claim. In addition, due to defendant’s inconsistent statements, officers extended a search to the dumpster at a Port Richey steakhouse where Knapp had put his blood-stained clothing. Eventually, the items were found at a landfill, and Moore’s DNA matched the blood on the clothing.
The motive for the killing remains unclear, though the couple were seen arguing the night she went missing.
A memorial in Moore’s honor is now at Whiskey Wings on Roosevelt Boulevard, where the victim worked. The victim was six weeks away from being certified as a phlebotomist, reported FOX 13.
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