Trial in Coeur d’Alene officer’s shooting death moves forward

A North Idaho judge said there’s sufficient evidence, including police video footage and statements made by the defendant, to move forward with the prosecution of Jonathan Daniel Renfro in the May 5 shooting death of Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore.

First District Senior Magistrate Barry Watson concluded Wednesday morning that Renfro, 27, will face trial for first-degree murder, grand theft, robbery, concealing evidence, removing a gun from a police officer and eluding police. He remains jailed on a $2 million bond and could receive the death penalty if convicted of murder.

Renfro is accused of shooting Moore in the face in a northwest Coeur d’Alene residential neighborhood after the officer stopped to question Renfro and run his identification through police dispatch 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 in a preliminary hearing that began last week and concluded Wednesday.

Kootenai County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Robins told Watson that the video recording from Moore’s body camera clearly shows the officer’s contact with Renfro and shows the defendant’s arm and the gun come up and fire at the officer.

“That evidence is compelling and powerful to establish it was the defendant who shot Sgt. Moore,” Robins said.

In addition, Renfro made “a myriad of statements” in his police interview about his decision to shoot Moore, he said. Reading excerpts from the transcript, Robins said Renfro admitted he was afraid Moore would find the gun in his pocket, and that Renfro alluded to his desire not to go back to prison on a parole violation for being a felon in possession of a gun.

“That’s his motive, your honor,” he said.

When one of the detectives asked Renfro if anyone else was involved in the shooting, Renfro replied, “Oh, no, I pulled the trigger. I’m the monster. It doesn’t matter if there was anyone there or not,” Robins quoted from the transcript.

Kootenai County Public Defender John Adams argued that prosecutors did not present sufficient evidence that Moore was acting in the lawful discharge of his duties as an officer when he stopped to question Renfro and check his identification.

Adams questioned what justification Moore had in stopping and detaining Renfro, who he said was walking down the sidewalk dressed appropriately for the weather and time of day.

“He’s got to have something more than that,” Adams said of Moore’s reason for the stop. “In America you can walk down the street at 1:30 in the morning without being accosted by the police.”

Adams also said prosecutors did not corroborate that Renfro’s gun was stolen, so the possession of stolen property charge doesn’t apply. He also contested the evidence that Renfro concealed that gun by tossing it away in a field near a Wal-Mart store.

“All he did was throw the gun out in a field,” Adams told the judge. “It wasn’t concealed.”

The robbery charge doesn’t apply, Adams continued, because there’s no proof that Renfro used force or a threat to remove the gun from Moore’s unresponsive body. “He was not cognizant of what was happening,” Adams said of Moore. “He didn’t resist.”

Watson said he viewed the body camera footage and watched the two-hour interview of Renfro by detectives. Renfro waived his Miranda rights, did not ask for an attorney and repeatedly admitted that he shot Moore, according to court testimony.