Murder charge still pending in shooting of Coeur d’Alene officer

Sixteen days after he allegedly shot and fatally wounded a Coeur d’Alene police officer, Jonathan Daniel Renfro has not been charged with murder.

A judge Wednesday was ready to take up a motion to charge Renfro with first-degree murder in the May 5 shooting death of Sgt. Greg Moore. But the defendant’s court-appointed lawyer said her office didn’t receive the Kootenai County prosecuting attorney’s notice of the hearing on that motion. First District Senior Magistrate Barry Watson reset the hearing for 9:30 a.m. June 5.

The judge also was ready to take up a motion from the public defender’s office barring attorneys, investigators, police and other parties in the case from discussing it with the news media. Deputy Public Defender Mayli Walsh and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jedediah Whitaker told Watson they would discuss the wording of such an order and get back to him.

Walsh told the judge what she’s looking for is not that different from what is outlined in the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct with respect to pretrial publicity.

“What I’m asking for is we all play by the rules here,” she said.

Renfro, who turned 27 on Tuesday, is being held on $2 million bail. He whispered a greeting to a family member Wednesday as he was escorted out of the courtroom at the county jail. His family has declined to comment on the case.

Investigators allege that Renfro, who was on felony parole, shot Moore as the officer questioned him because he was afraid Moore would find a handgun in his pocket – a parole violation.