WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The man accused of killing Minister Akeem Moore is scheduled to make his first appearance in Palm Beach County court Thursday morning.
Hugh Earp Milner Jr., 38, faces charges of first-degree murder with a firearm and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm in the death of 31-year-old Moore. His first appearance is set for 10:00 a.m. Thursday, according to court records. Court records also show Milner faces additional charges including a weapon offense and warrant-related charges.
The charges stem from an incident on the 500 block of Ontario Place just after midnight Sunday, where police say Milner approached Moore and a passenger who were sitting in a parked car, believing the passenger was mistakenly his ex-girlfriend.
At the time, Moore was on a date with his girlfriend when they had returned to her residence. The couple had parked facing eastbound toward the house when Milner approached the vehicle.
According to witness statements in the police report, Milner began beating on the front passenger window and moved toward the front of the car. The woman immediately recognized Milner as the ex-boyfriend of her sister. Police say Milner believed it was his ex was in Moore's vehicle.
The report states that Milner began shouting "Is this what we are doing now?" before reaching into his waistband, pulling out a black handgun, and pointing it at the vehicle and its occupants.
Moore attempted to drive away, putting the vehicle in reverse and rolling down the passenger window to yell "Hey man, hey man this not (the ex-girlfriend)." As Moore reversed, Milner shot the passenger headlight. Moore then tried to drive north on Ontario Place while Milner continued firing at the vehicle.
Police found Moore's white Ford Fusion in the parking lot of Fire Station #5 at 700 North Congress Avenue with damage to the passenger headlight and rear window, along with a large amount of blood in the driver's seat. At the initial scene on Ontario Place, investigators recovered four spent shell casings and a single projectile.
Moore was transported to St. Mary's Hospital where he was pronounced dead just after 3 a.m. Sunday.
Text messages recovered from Milner's ex-girlfriend's phone, sent late Saturday night, contained threatening language, according to the arrest report.
The ex-girlfiend told police she had known Milner for 13 to 14 years and was in fear for Moore's life and her sister's safety because she believed Milner came to the house intending to harm her.
After being shot, Moore demonstrated remarkable courage in his final moments, according to West Palm Beach Police chief Tony Araujo.
"Akeem should be remembered as a hero," Chief Araujo said. "Even after being shot, he acted selflessly and courageously, driving his passenger to safety."
Milner, who police say is homeless, initially fled the scene but was quickly tracked using Flock license plate readers as he traveled south into Broward County. The Broward Sheriff's Office located and arrested him with assistance from the real-time intelligence system.
West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach police detail how 'real-time intelligence' cracked case
The Broward Sheriff's Office located and arrested him with assistance from the real-time intelligence system. He was extradited to Palm Beach County late Wednesday night.
Moore's family continues to seek answers as they process their loss. "Whatever justice is, truth, answers … understanding why this happened to such an innocent person," said Malik Brown, Moore's cousin.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the West Palm Beach Police Department or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
