Keith Moses trial delayed as Pine Hills triple murder suspect makes first courtroom appearance since arrest

Trial delay for Pine Hills shooting suspect

A hearing was held on Friday for Keith Melvin Moses, the teenager accused of going on a shooting spree in Pine Hills, Florida in Feb. 2023. Moses, 19, appeared in a courtroom for a pretrial hearing that was also his first public appearance since his arrest.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A hearing was held on Friday for Keith Melvin Moses, the teenager accused of going on a shooting spree in Pine Hills, Florida just over three months ago that left an Orlando television reporter, a little girl, and a woman dead.

Moses, 19, appeared in a courtroom for a pretrial hearing that was also his first public appearance since he was arrested on February 22. He is accused of murdering Spectrum News Reporter, Dylon Lyons, 24, T’yonna Major, 9, and Nathacha Augustin,38.

Hearing held for accused Pine Hills shooter

A hearing was held on Friday for Keith Melvin Moses, the teenager accused of going on a shooting spree in Pine Hills, Florida that left an Orlando television reporter, a little girl, and a woman dead. Moses, 19, faces charges that include three counts of capital first-degree murder with a firearm, for his role in the mass shooting on February 22.

"Let the record reflect that the defendant, Keith Moses, is present as well," said Judge Robert J. Egan.

Moses was escorted into the room by a half dozen armed guards. A total of 11 armed deputies lined the courtroom. Moses’ crown-like haircut still adorned the top of his head. His head was bowed during the entire hearing and at one point, he appeared to tremble.

A hearing was held on May 26, 2023, for Keith Melvin Moses, the teenager accused of going on a shooting spree in Pine Hills, Florida that left an Orlando television reporter, a little girl, and a woman dead.

The hearing was a pre-trial update to see if things were on track to start the trial on June 5.

State prosecutors and the defense are hoping to have a speedy trial. Although, the date of the trial needed to be pushed back a month and a half.

Moses’ new defense attorney had just been appointed a day earlier and needed more time to review the case, he said. The state also needs some time to interview witnesses and find a jury.

The state intends to prove multiple capital felonies to justify death. The state is seeking the death penalty and intends to prove aggravating factors:

That Moses was previously convicted of another capital felony or of a felony involving the use of threat or violence to the person
That the capital felony was committed while Moses was engaged in a burglary
That the victim of a capital felony was less than 12 years of age
That the capital felony was committed by a criminal gang member as defined in Florida statute 874.03

A new trial date has been set for July 24. Both sides will reconvene on June 9 at 1:30 p.m. to confirm if they are on track for trial.