FREDERIKSTED — Police have charged Steven Moore Jr. with killing Michael Petersen on April 10, and an arrest warrant affidavit recounts how the case was initially reported as a possible suicide, court documents indicate.
Moore, 27, of Frederiksted, was arrested by warrant Thursday and charged with second-degree murder, first-degree and third-degree assault, unauthorized possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unauthorized possession of ammunition, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Police investigating the murder executed a search warrant at the home where Moore had been living with his mother Thursday morning, and found a loaded firearm and ammunition in Moore’s bedroom, according to a VIPD probable cause fact sheet filed in Superior Court.
Police charged him in a separate case with unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession or sale of ammunition, according to the VIPD.
The fact sheet identifies the gun as a black .9mm “ghost” handgun without a serial number, with a fully loaded 10-round magazine and two additional loaded magazines, as well as another partially loaded magazine and a holster.
The investigation began on the afternoon of Sunday, April 10, when Petersen’s father called police and said he found his son dead from a bullet wound to the head, according to the arrest warrant affidavit filed by police.
The 31-year-old Petersen hadn’t been feeling well the day before, and the father said he “got him some medication at around 3 p.m. and that was the last time he saw him,” according to police.
When the father went to Petersen’s home to check on him Sunday afternoon, he “discovered him with a bullet wound to his head,” according to the affidavit.
The death was initially reported as a possible suicide, but police quickly determined that Petersen had been murdered and put out a public statement asking for anyone with information about gunfire in the area to share what they knew with investigators.
Just days after the murder, a witness went to police and provided a statement about Petersen’s killing. The witness said another person told them that Petersen and Moore were drinking and smoking together at Petersen’s home in Estate Whim on the night of the murder. The witness said Moore had recently purchased a gun, and had been renting space at Petersen’s apartment for $40 a month. The witness also identified Moore from a photo array.
Police contacted Moore on May 3, and he said in an interview that he only knew Petersen from being around horses in the Whim area, and he never visited or rented Petersen’s apartment, according to the affidavit.
Moore denied killing Petersen, and said he learned about the death on Facebook. Moore also told police he’s not licensed to possess a firearm, and doesn’t own a gun, according to the affidavit.
On May 4, police interviewed another witness who said Moore and his brother were at Petersen’s apartment on the night of the murder, and Moore was carrying a “ghost handgun” without a serial number. The witness said Moore often hung out at Petersen’s apartment.
The witness said Moore and his brother left Petersen’s apartment around 10 p.m., and at that time, Petersen was still alive. Moore was seen going back into Petersen’s apartment alone around midnight, according to the affidavit.
The witness returned to Petersen’s apartment the following morning around 11 a.m. and found him shot to death in his bed. The witness left the apartment and did not report the murder.
Moore subsequently approached the witness and explained that “it was a mistake” and he had accidentally shot Petersen in the head because “the clip (magazine) for the gun was shaky.”
The witness said Moore appeared frightened and the confession seemed genuine, and the witness “strongly believes that Mr. Steven Moore killed Mr. Michael Petersen,” according to the affidavit.
Police noted in the affidavit that officers “have interacted with this individual on many different occasions on a professional level,” and they believed Moore might be hiding the murder weapon in his home or car.
In court Friday, Magistrate Judge Ernest Morris Jr. said Moore’s criminal history includes a 2015 conviction for third-degree burglary, and he pleaded guilty in April to simple assault and battery and is still under supervised probation.
Moore’s mother had previously served as his third-party custodian in criminal matters, but Morris said he will need to find someone else willing to take on that role because he was living with his mother “and had a gun in her house, allegedly.”
Moore will not be released until he can find a suitable custodian, but he first must post bail, which is currently set at a total of $250,000 cash between the two cases.
If he is able to post bail, he must remain under 24-hour house arrest with electronic monitoring while he awaits trial, Judge Morris said.