Man pleads to involuntary manslaughter in shooting death of former lawyer in South Linden
While authorities have not identified the triggerman, a man admitted in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Thursday to playing a role in the random fatal shooting of a former lawyer in South Linden in 2021.
Rayvon L. Mitchell, 22, whose address was listed in Franklin County Municipal Court as in Jersey City, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter with a gun specification. Franklin County prosecutors dropped other charges including murder and aggravated robbery charges.
Mitchell admitted he was present when another person fatally shot 51-year-old John D. Moore Jr. in a parking area behind Moore’s home in the 2100 block of Cleveland Avenue.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page sentenced Mitchell to an indefinite prison term of 14 years to 19 ½ years, at the joint recommendation of prosecutors and Mitchell’s defense attorney.
Mitchell’s attorney, Brian Rigg, did not return a call from The Dispatch requesting comment.
Franklin County First Assistant Prosecutor Janet Grubb said there is no indication that Moore's former profession had anything to do with the crime.
Officers found Moore near his car at around 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2021. He died shortly afterward at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center.
A surveillance camera captured two men fleeing the scene with one holding a handgun, according to records filed by a Columbus police detective with the Franklin County Municipal Court.
Mitchell's fingerprints were found on the front passenger window of Moore's car and cell tower records placed Mitchell's cellphone in the area at the time of the shooting, court records state.
The Columbus police detective on this case could not be reached Thursday to confirm whether the department is still investigating.
At the request of prosecutors, Page dismissed a murder charge against another man related to this shooting a year ago.
Joshua Adair's cellphone was found at the scene of the shooting and the man with the gun in the video is seen dropping a phone, court records state.
But Adair said his phone was stolen. Footage from a license plate-reading camera elsewhere in Columbus placed Adair's car in a different location from his phone.
Moore, who became a lawyer in 2006, resigned from the practice of law in August 2020.
According to his obituary, Moore dabbled in stand-up comedy near the end of his life. He had started working for the U.S. Postal Service not long before his death, the obituary states.
More court news: Columbus man who argued self-defense in shooting of cousin not convicted on murder charges
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Man pleads in deadly Columbus shooting, shooter remains unidentified
