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Federal authorities announced that District resident Isaac Moye, 46, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of Harris - whose body has never been found - in October 2010.
A mother of two, Harris hosted a sleepover for her two young children and their 9-year-old cousin on Oct. 9, 2010 at their DC home, putting them to bed at approximately 9:30 p.m. that night.
Prosecutors say that shortly before 10:40 p.m., the 46-year-old Moye, who she had known for approximately two months, arrived at her home, called her, and entered her building.
The following morning, when the children woke up, Harris was missing, along with her keys and cellphone, though the glasses she never left home without were conspicuously still inside the unit, as well as her purse and wallet.
"Her sofa had been mutilated, a hole cut in the fabric, a section of foam removed," according to investigators. "There was no blood, no sign. or struggle."
She has never been seen or heard from again.
“More than a decade ago, two children lost their mother to a killer who had no regard for anyone’s needs but his own,” US Attorney Matthew Graves said following the conviction.
“Thanks to dogged police work by the Metropolitan Police Department detectives who worked this case, and the dedicated, tireless efforts of the prosecution team, a jury held (Moye) accountable for this heinous murder.”
Moye was identified as a suspect and interviewed multiple times by the Metropolitan Police Department, where he gave varying stories to investigators.
He denied, admitted, then denied again that he and Harris were in any sort of relationship, and stated he had never stayed at her home overnight. He further refused to admit that he had seen Harris the day she went missing.
That was swiftly debunked.
Ultimately, Moye's semen was found on the mutilated sofa, and investigators were able to determine he had spent the night there.
A witness also said that Moye copped to there being a missing girl, but that the police "were never going to find her," because he "did it, but did it the right way."
“I want to offer my deepest condolences to the family of Unique Harris. I commend the hard work of everyone involved in this case, especially our homicide detectives who never give up fighting for our victims and ensuring offenders are held accountable,” interim Metropolitan Police Chief Benedict added. “This case is a prime example of our detectives’ dedication and tireless work.”
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