Renfro arraigned in killing of Coeur d’Alene officer

A judge entered not-guilty pleas Wednesday morning for Jonathan Daniel Renfro, the man charged with first-degree murder and other felonies in connection with the May 5 shooting death of Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore.

Appearing with his court-appointed attorney before 1st District Judge Lansing Haynes, Renfro chose to stand silent rather than plead guilty or not guilty to the charges, which also include grand theft, robbery, concealing evidence, removing a gun from a police officer and eluding police.

Haynes entered pleas of not guilty to all six charges. A trial date has not been set in the case.

If convicted of murder, Renfro could receive the death penalty. Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh has not announced if he will seek the death penalty in the case. McHugh has 60 days to make that decision.

Kootenai County Public Defender John Adams told Haynes at Wednesday’s hearing that if McHugh were to take the death penalty off the table, “we can resolve this.” Adams did not elaborate on what charges to which Renfro might be willing to plead guilty if he isn’t facing the possibility of death.

Renfro, 27, is accused of shooting Moore in the face in a northwest Coeur d’Alene residential neighborhood after the officer stopped to question him and check his identification around 1:30 a.m.

The defendant, who was on felony parole at the time, allegedly was carrying a stolen Glock pistol and said he feared Moore would find the gun and arrest him, according to testimony from a preliminary hearing Sept. 2.

Renfro allegedly stole Moore’s gun and patrol car in the minutes following the shooting and was arrested a short time later hiding near a Wal-Mart store in Post Falls.

Moore died at Kootenai Health later that day.

Renfro remains in the Kootenai County Jail on $2 million bond.