6 days ago
Who killed Debra Sue Moore? Odessa cold case still unsolved after nearly 40 years
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- In the early hours of May 17, 1986, a scream echoed through the courtyard of what was once called the Viva Apartments in Odessa. Neighbors stepped onto their balconies to find a woman collapsed near the gate, bleeding, barefoot, and yelling for help.
The woman was 25-year-old Debra Sue Moore, a mother of two from Monahans. Her overnight bag was still slung over her shoulder when a neighbor performed CPR on her in the doorway of Apartment 51. She was rushed to the hospital, but it was too late.
Nearly 40 years later, her case remains unsolved.
Debra had arrived at the Viva Apartments around 8:15 p.m. the night before, according to Charles Azelle, the man she was seeing at the time. The two went out to The Brewery with friends and returned to Azelle's apartment in the early hours of the morning. Debra had planned to stay the night.
Sometime after 3 a.m., she stepped outside, possibly to retrieve something from her car. Within minutes, she was stabbed near the entrance to the complex. Azelle told police she was screaming his name when she stumbled back inside.
On that tragic night, witnesses reported seeing a tall man with shoulder-length brown hair fleeing the scene through a nearby gate. One neighbor described the man grappling with Debra before running. Another saw someone matching the same description moments earlier.
Within minutes of Debra's collapse, another woman was confronted, but in her case, the threat was narrowly avoided.
Roughly 15 minutes later, a woman working at a nearby 7-Eleven reported what was described as a 'chilling encounter.' A man entered the store and told her, 'If you get into my car, nothing will happen to you. But if not, I can't be responsible for what happens.'
She refused, and he sped away in a dark blue Oldsmobile with glass T-tops.
Debra's murder wasn't an isolated case. It came during a disturbing string of attacks on women in Odessa that same week, at a time when the city was already gripped by a wave of violence.
Just four years earlier, Odessa had been dubbed 'Murder Town, USA' after logging one of the highest per-capita homicide rates in the nation during the oil bust of the early 1980s. While the rate had slowed by 1986, the scars of that era lingered, overwhelmed investigators, limited forensic tools, and a community still shaken by what was once described as random violence.
In the days before Debra's death, a UTPB student was abducted at knifepoint, sexually assaulted, and buried under sticks and brush in a field. Miraculously, she survived. Her description of the attacker: a man with long hair and a mustache, again, bore a striking resemblance to the man seen near Debra.
That same week, another woman reported being approached by a man with a knife outside an auto body shop. She managed to scare him off by pretending to reach for a gun in her car.
The 7-Eleven incident, the attempted abductions, the stabbing, it all pointed to a possible pattern.
The man linked to the 7-Eleven attack was soon identified as David Good, a resident of a nearby apartment complex. When police questioned him, Good admitted to attempting the abduction. He told investigators he had planned to rape or kill the store clerk, and acknowledged having violent thoughts toward women.
When asked whether he was involved in Debra's murder, Good gave a chilling response: he said he didn't know and suggested hypnosis might reveal the answer.
Despite his disturbing statements and his resemblance to multiple witness descriptions, Good was never charged in connection with Debra's death. Investigators said they couldn't firmly establish a timeline. Good refused to put his confession in writing, and any potential evidence tying him to the scene was never publicly disclosed.
Years later, David Good died, without ever being definitively ruled in or out as a suspect in Debra's murder.
Debra's estranged husband, Tim Moore, was also considered a suspect early on in the investigation. Multiple witnesses described a pattern of abuse in the marriage. According to reports, Tim admitted to past violence but denied involvement in her murder. Officials shared that he also passed a polygraph in 1986. Despite this, detectives have recently voiced concerns about whether key questions, such as whether he had paid someone to hurt her, were ever asked.
He has since died.
In interviews for The Deck podcast, Debra's son Bert recalled the trauma that shadowed their family. 'She always sang. She was awesome,' he said. 'They just took her away too young.'
For the first time in decades, the case has been reopened with fresh eyes and modern tools. Detective Lauren Gonzales, the cold case investigator assigned to Debra's murder, recently submitted evidence for DNA testing.
'She had blood under her nails,' Gonzales said in The Deck. 'Maybe she was trying to fight back. Maybe his DNA is under her nails.'
Gonzales also hopes to compare samples from Good and Azelle, if they can be obtained, to rule them out, or in, definitively.
When contacted for additional details about the status of DNA testing or the current scope of the investigation, the Odessa Police Department declined to comment.
Susan Rogers, CEO of Odessa Crime Stoppers, has worked closely with law enforcement on cold cases for years.
'There were no cell phones, no security footage,' Rogers said. 'You depended entirely on memory and handwritten notes. And those memories fade.'
Rogers said both Odessa Police and the Ector County Sheriff's Office have investigators assigned to review unsolved murders like Debra's, but they often juggle active cases as well.
'These cases aren't forgotten,' she said. 'They just take time, resources, and new information to move forward.'
Debra Sue Moore was more than just a victim, she was a daughter, a mother of two, and a young woman whose life was stolen far too soon. Nearly four decades have passed, but those who loved her still carry the weight of unanswered questions.
If you know something, anything, that could help bring closure, now is the time to come forward.
You can submit a tip anonymously to Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS (8477) or through the P3 Tips app. Be sure to reference case number 86-35818.
'Even the smallest detail can bring justice,' said Susan Rogers, CEO of Odessa Crime Stoppers. 'Sometimes it just takes one person to break a case wide open.'
In January 2024, the City of Odessa and Odessa Police Department promoted Debra's story through The Deck podcast, hoping to bring new eyes and new leads to her case.
'Despite decades of efforts by the Odessa Police Department, Debra's case is still unsolved,' city officials wrote. 'Please listen to the episode and share it with your friends and family.'
The case remains active. You can listen to the full episode of The Deck: Debra Sue Moore on all major podcast platforms or click here to listen now.
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