Attack and Strangulation of Girlfriend Lands Victoria Man in Jail

LUNENBURG – Travis M. Moorefield, a 22-year-old Victoria man, was sentenced recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court to 12 months in jail on a felony conviction of strangulation as a result of an attack upon his 30-year-old girlfriend in front of her six-year-old child.  The two had been arguing about their relationship when he began to talk “ugly” toward her, and she told him to leave.

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement, a conviction at one point looked unlikely when the victim died about two weeks later of an unrelated natural cause, deep vein thrombosis causing a severe pulmonary embolism.  “This type of case usually requires the testimony of the victim to state that what happened and that her breathing was cut off, however, we had a “Good Samaritan” neighbor, Desera Denise Edmonds, who heard the altercation, ran to the apartment below her, and pulled Moorefield off of the victim as he choked her,” said Clement.  “Not only was she brave enough to get physically involved, Ms. Edmonds also testified at the preliminary hearing to get the case certified to the grand jury, and was prepared to testify at the Circuit Court trial, but Moorefield chose to plead guilty. I hope her example will inspire others to practice such courage and devotion to innocent, helpless victims, and to see that criminals are held accountable and that justice is done,” said Clement.

The incident arose on January 1, 2016 at approximately 8:00 p.m.  The victim told the police that Moorefield pushed her into a full-length mirror, breaking it, and as she went outside, he followed her and grabbed her.  She broke away and said she was going to call the police, but he broke her cellphone.  She went back inside the apartment where she said he struck her in the face and began choking her.  She told police she could not breathe.  She said her neighbor pulled him off of her, and he fled into the nearby woods.  Moorefield was not found until the next morning by a state trooper when someone called the Sheriff’s Office and said he had returned to the apartment complex.  Moorefield told police that he had stayed in the woods all night.   Photographs of the victim showed redness around her neck.

Moorefield claimed he was drunk, and should have known better.  He admitted striking her, but would not say anything about strangling her.

Clement said the victim did not require medical attention. There are no sentencing guidelines for strangulation, and Clement said he gained the approval of the victim’s parents to the plea agreement.  He said he conferred with the State Medical Examiner twice who stated without reservation that the victim’s death two weeks later was totally unrelated to the assault.

Moorefield was sentenced to the maximum limit of five years in prison with all suspended except the 12 months to serve.

The defendant will be subject to conditions of good behavior for five years, supervised probation upon his release for one year, no contact with the family of the victim and with the witnesses, counseling for substance abuse and anger management, and warrantless searches for five years.