Pamela Moss Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Jones County Murder

GRAY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Pamela Moss will spend the rest of her life behind bars after a jury found her guilty in the murder of a Henry County businessman.

After two and half days of testimony and closing arguments Thursday morning, the jury came to its decision in 30 minutes. The defense tried to convince jurors Pamela Moss was insane or mentally ill when she killed Douglas Coker, but the state called that defense “pure garbage.”

“This case is saturated with evidence that she knew exactly what she was doing, just like that living room was saturated with Mr. Coker’s blood,” Jones County District Attorney Fred Bright said.

During his closing arguments, Bright said the evidence presented during the trial proved Moss was of sound mind when she killed Coker.

“Pam Moss had a goal. She flim-flammed this man out of money, she didn’t want to pay him back, she lured him to her home to kill him,” he said. “Everything she did was to hide her misdeed after she did it.”

Moss’ attorney Frank Hogue argued she suffers from dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder. He was seeking a not guilty by reason of insanity. He claimed an alter ego killed Coker.

“This woman had to have some kind of delusion to believe she was in danger, or whatever alter ego came out was in danger, or there’s not justification for killing Mr. Coker even though he didn’t do anything to cause that in reality,” Hogue said.

But the jury didn’t buy his defense.

“We find the defendant guilty,” the court clerk said while reading the verdict.

Moss is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“She now knows she is going to die in prison. She will never be free again,” Hogue said. “I had prepared her for that and it was exactly a shock either.”

Prosecutors believe it is justice for the victim’s family. Coker’s wife, Judy Coker, gave a brief statement. She stood up in the courtroom and looked directly at Moss, who sat in her chair rocking back and forth with her head down. She said Moss violently murdered a good, honest, caring family man and a wonderful husband.

“I want you to know that I think you are evil and that is the only way God would have allowed this to happen,” she told Moss.

“They [the victim’s family] feel as though Ms. Moss is not mentally ill, and that state agrees with them, and that this was quite frankly just another way to get out of what it is that she’s done and not to answer to what she’s done,” Jones County Assistant District Attorney Keagan Waystack said. “The jury returned a verdict that in fact holds her accountable for that.”