Delaware County jury rules husband not guilty in death of Westerville's Emily Noble

The disappearance of Emily Noble from her Westerville home in May, 2020 resulted in manhunts, community vigils and extensive police work.

When she was discovered on Sept. 16, 2020, hanging by a USB cord wrapped around her neck and attached to a honeysuckle branch in thick woods near her home, there was a frenzy of speculation: Accident. Suicide. Foul play.

Westerville Police eventually would interview Matheau Moore, her husband of about two years. And following forensic evidence that found that Noble's face and neck had bone fractures, they filed charges, noting that the injuries were consistent with manual strangulation, not suicide.

But a Delaware County jury could not link Moore to the death. There were no eye witnesses, no clear motive and largely circumstantial evidence.

Read more on the Emily Noble case: Emily Noble's husband arrested in 'faked' suicide case

Moore was charged with two counts of murder − one intentional and the other connected to a charge of felonious assault. The weeklong trial in Delaware County Common Pleas Court was covered nationally on Court TV.

When retired Greene County Judge Stephen A. Wolaver repeated 'not guilty' on each count Friday, after jury deliberations of just under three hours, Moore clasped his hands on the back of his bowed head and visibly sobbed. After Wolaver released Moore of his bond, he told him that the jury had just decided that "justice for Emily is not injustice for you."

Prosecution asserted that Matheau Moore staged Emily Noble's death

Much of the intrigue in the case has focused on the prosecution's assertion that Moore staged the death to look like a suicide.

A water bottle was found near the decomposed remains in a wooded area where she was known to forage for edible herbs and flowers. Noble, slumped on her knees, was still wearing her Asics running shoes. Jewelry was found nearby.

Expert witnesses from both the prosecution and defense presented conflicting testimony about what might have caused the injuries.

The prosecution's most damning evidence came from a forensic anthropologist, a pathologist and officials from the Delaware County Coroner's Office. Each stated that the cause of death was homicide and that a hanging would not have caused bones to fracture.

Dr. William Smock, an expert on strangulation, testified that injuries to Noble, who weighed 100 pounds, were consistent with strangulation.

More on the Emily Noble case:Autopsy report shows Emily Noble died from 'multiple injuries of the head and neck'

"She was strangled manually and then placed in the tree," Smock testified.

Delaware County Coroner Dr. Mark Hickman testified that "the amount of trauma that would have occurred to cause these fractures would have to be inflicted (by another person)."

The defense team saw it differently

Defense Attorney Diane Menashe countered that Noble had a history of fragile bones, having broken an ankle that required pins to repair, and that the initial investigation was shoddy, noting that some of Noble's teeth and bones were not recovered on the initial sweep of the area.

Menashe also presented notes from Noble's psychologists stating that Noble had been dealing with depression following deaths in her family, including her first husband's suicide and the suicide of Moore's son, her stepson, in July 2019.

Perhaps the most compelling defense witness was Heather Garmin, a board-certified forensic anthroplogist from Iowa, who testified that bones in the neck, just above the Adam's apple, can be very fragile.

"We always tell people not to push too hard," she said, after several jurors were seen touching their necks to identify the protrusion.

In closing arguments Thursday, Mark Sleeper, Delaware County first assistant prosecutor, called the evidence clear: "Emily Noble did not die from suicide. No note ... no goodbyes to loved ones. Nothing."

Sleeper said that Noble endured the tragedies in her life. She was getting help, staying fit and about to return to work. Testimony and messages to and from her friends and family didn't mention suicide.

Pointing to Moore, Sleeper said, "He's unemployed, sitting at home getting drunk."

Menashe said the prosecution's case was "totally speculation," attacking the notion that Noble wasn't capable of taking her life.

"If mental health were that simple, we would live in a much different world," she said. "It's not."

"This is the thing about mental health ... you don't see it coming," Menashe said.

Related Emily Noble article:Emily Noble's husband arrested in her death in Westerville

At least one juror was seen crying during the closing remarks. And Moore more than once wiped away tears, especially when Menashe brought up his son's suicide by hanging.

Brandy Zink, a close friend of Noble's for almost 20 years who attended most of the trial, said that regardless of the jury's decision, Noble didn't deserve what happened to her. Their last selfie was taken in late 2019 on a trip to Hocking Hills State Park.

In addition to hiking, Noble was an avid jogger, swimmer and photographer and loved working with the elderly. She was last employed in the Ohio Department of Medicaid.

"Emily loved life and was a beautiful person," Zink said, describing her "resilience, strength and grace."

"The whole community is traumatized by her loss. I miss my friend, who was like my sister and can never be replaced."

dnarciso@dispatch.com

@DeanNarciso

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Husband found not guilty in 2020 death of Westerville's Emily Noble