Crime Junkie: MURDERED – Bobby Moore

Release Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Ashley Flowers (A)
Co-Host: Brit Prawat (B)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ashley and Brit delve into the labyrinthine case of Bobby Moore, a homicide detective whose life takes a noir turn from 1970s DC to small-town Indiana. It's a story with mistaken identities, small-town politics, a high-profile police marriage, a contentious divorce, a suspicious death, and an unsolved murder. The episode not only examines the details of Moore’s murder but also raises unsettling questions about truth, justice, and what it means to seek closure when everything remains tangled in shades of gray.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origin: A Noir-Like True Story

• The case begins in Washington DC, 1974, amidst political turmoil (Watergate era). Detective Bobby Moore is investigating the shooting of Judge Lewis Sisler, which appears at first to be a political hit but turns out to be a tragic case of mistaken identity and vigilante justice.
  • [00:34] “The story I have for you today reads more like an old film noir than real life... ends with a town marshal gunned down on his own doorstep in Indiana.” – Ashley

Key Crime Details

• Judge Lewis Sisler is shot when a group seeking vengeance for an assault on a woman named Mrs. Brannon mistakenly believes her assailant lives at Sisler’s father-in-law's house.
  • The attackers (including the victim’s mother, Mary Harris) end up shooting the judge.
  • Several in the group are arrested and charged, but the original assault remains unsolved.
  • [05:47] “Wait, so who actually committed the assault on Mary's daughter?” – Brit

Discussion on Investigative Ambiguity

• Questions remain about whether the right person was targeted, and whether the judge himself was ever a serious suspect or just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
  • [06:23] “You're asking all the right questions, the same ones I did, but they're the questions I can't get answers to.” – Ashley

2. From Cold Case to Personal Tragedy

Detective Moore's Life Changes

• Moore solves the judge’s murder, meets Sisler’s widow Barbara, and marries her three years later.
  • [08:18] “Detective Bobby Moore meets his wife, Barbara Sisler, and they get married three years later.” – Ashley

A Fractured Fairytale

• The couple moves to Fremont, Indiana. Bobby becomes town marshal, but their marriage unravels amid Bobby’s worsening alcoholism and accusations of infidelity.

  • [10:01] “There might have been more to it than just where he was in his career because you see, Bobby has a pretty severe alcohol use disorder…” – Ashley

• They cohabit in separate parts of the house, their impending divorce scheduled.

  • [11:09] “So by the end of 1987, the two of them are barely coexisting.” – Ashley

3. Barbara Moore’s Death – Suspicion and Doubt

Incident Details

• Three days before the divorce, Barbara is shot dead at home. Bobby claims self-defense: Barbara entered his apartment in a rage, threw papers and a phone at him, and allegedly confronted him with a cocked pistol before he fatally shot her.
  • [12:50] “Bobby is the one holding the gun. But when he calls police... he says it's not what it looks like.” – Ashley

Contradictory Witness Accounts

• Barbara’s daughter, Barbara Shuford, was on the phone line during the argument and did not hear Bobby warn Barbara to “put the gun down”—only yelling and then a gunshot.

  • [17:31] “She tells police in no uncertain terms that she did not hear Bobby say, put the gun down. There was no talk of any gun ever.” – Ashley

• Barbara had previously recorded a tape predicting Bobby might kill her and implored authorities or her family not to believe any claim of suicide.

  • [15:51] “[Barbara] talks of Bobby trying to kill her before and that if something ever happens to her, no one should believe that she took her own life.” – Ashley

Forensic and Medical Gray Area

• Evidence at the scene does not neatly align with self-defense:
  • Blood spatter suggests Barbara was shot inside Bobby’s room, but her body was found in the hallway.
  • The gun supposedly wielded by Barbara had no fingerprints, which originally looked suspicious—until medical experts revealed Barbara had a condition preventing her from leaving fingerprints (reflex sympathetic dystrophy).
  • [22:34] “Given this fact, the lack of the victim's fingerprints or smudges on the weapon she... was holding... is not a significant evidentiary datum.” – Brit, reading from court documents

Legal Outcome

• Despite being arrested, Bobby is released after about a month: the prosecutor finds the case too weak—conflicting eyewitness and sound reenactment experiments, no hard evidence of intent, and ambiguous forensic findings.

  • [24:08] “Investigators actually set up this experiment... they found very little could actually be heard [on the phone line].” – Ashley

• The community is outraged, feeling that Bobby—a seasoned homicide detective—knew well how to stage the scene.

4. Aftermath and Escalation

Community Backlash

• Bobby seeks to reclaim his job as town marshal. The board controversially reappoints him, sparking protests, threats, and pipe bomb attacks on officials’ homes.
  • [26:23] “Four days after Bobby is let out of jail, dude wants his job back.” – Ashley

Bobby Moore’s Murder

• Five months after Barbara’s death (to the day and almost the hour), Bobby is ambushed and shot dead outside his new home.

  • [29:21] “Five months to the day... that feels like such a message.” – Brit
  • [29:28] “It's not even just the day, though. It's to the hour. Yeah, and this ends up being a critical clue for investigators.” – Ashley

• Evidence points to a killer lying in wait with a high-powered rifle; timing suggests possible vengeance for Barbara's death.

5. Suspects & Theories

Focus on Samuel Sisler

• The main person of interest: Barbara’s son, Samuel Sisler, recently dismissed from the Indiana State Police, reportedly bought a long rifle and similar ammunition before Bobby’s murder.

  • [31:04] “According to a local reporter... Samuel had allegedly bought a long rifle at a local gun shop about... three or four days prior to Bobby's shooting.” – Ashley

• Samuel disappears after the murder, turning up in Colorado, then later refuses to speak with police.

  • [31:58] Samuel’s dismissal from the police is possibly tied to threats made against Bobby.

No Definitive Evidence

• Despite circumstantial indicators, investigators lack conclusive evidence tying any suspect to Bobby’s murder, and the case remains open.
  • [33:20] “Captain Smith said it could be anyone. And... Bobby was a cop. Cops make enemies.” – Ashley

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On The Case’s Intricacy:

  • [00:34] “Reads more like an old film noir than real life... spirals into domestic violence, and ends with a town marshal gunned down.” – Ashley

• On Doubt and Unanswered Questions:

  • [06:23] “You're asking all the right questions... but they're the questions I can't get answers to.” – Ashley

• On Relationship Dynamics:

  • [08:26] “Is there not a policy against dating a murder victim's wife after you investigated the murder?” – Brit

• On Forensic Surprise:

  • [22:00] “Are you ready for a crime junkie first? ...In this case, police talk with Barbara's doctors... she could not leave fingerprints.” – Ashley

• On Community Outrage:

  • [26:25] “This meeting draws a crowd... people come out with what local reporters describe as torches and pitchforks.” – Ashley

• On the Nature of Justice:

  • [34:10] “For me, it lives in the gray area. Bobby's story is steeped in tragedy. And it is so complicated because Bobby was far from a perfect victim. But he was a victim.” – Ashley

Key Timestamps

• [00:34] – Episode setup: Noir themes and cold case intro.
• [05:47] – Details of the original assault and mistaken identity.
• [08:18] – Bobby marries the victim’s widow, Barbara.
• [10:01] - [12:50] – Marriage breakdown and setup for Barbara’s death.
• [13:57] – The night of Barbara’s shooting from both Bobby’s and Barbara’s daughter's perspectives.
• [15:51] – Revelation of Barbara's premonitory tape about her possible murder.
• [18:22] - [23:49] – Forensic/medical twists on fingerprints and evidence.
• [24:08] – How the phone-call “ear witness” evidence falls apart.
• [26:23] – Bobby’s attempt to reclaim his marshal role; community backlash.
• [29:21] - [30:00] – Bobby Moore’s murder to the day/hour after Barbara's.
• [31:04] – Suspicion turns to Samuel Sisler.
• [34:10] – Host reflection on ambiguity, justice, and the lasting effect on the community.

Conclusion

This episode draws listeners deep into the tangles of a case where every answer begets more questions. The hosts acknowledge the emotional intensity, the ambiguity, and the ongoing pain for those involved. The audience is left to ponder who gets to decide what counts as justice when the truth, evidence, and motives are perpetually obscured.

If you have any tips on Bobby Moore’s murder, contact the Indiana State Police Cold Case Investigations at 1-800-453-4756, or visit crimetips.org.

Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.