Norfolk man admits to prom-night murder of friend

NORFOLK

A former Lake Taylor High School student and football player Wednesday pleaded guilty to murder of his openly gay friend.

Deandre R. Moore, 18, admitted to stabbing Jacques Cowell in May in a dispute the day of Moore's high school prom, according to court accounts.

Prosecutors gave a version of the events that led up to the May 6 slaying in a statement filed with the court:

Cowell, 20, and Moore met on Facebook several weeks before the incident. Prosecution witnesses would have testified that Cowell was openly gay, and bought Moore clothing, shoes and a cellphone. The witnesses told prosecutors that it appeared Cowell and Moore had a physical relationship, but Moore was not openly gay, according to court records.

Cowell told friends he was going to meet Moore and get his cellphone back the night of May 6.

Paramedics arrived at the intersection of Raby and Harmony roads around 8:30 p.m. and found Cowell suffering from multiple stab wounds. He died at a local hospital.

Police interviewed Moore two days after the stabbing, according to court records. Moore initially said he gave Cowell his phone and went to his high school prom, court records state. He denied being involved in the stabbing, court records state.

After further questioning, Moore told police they got into a fight, and Cowell threatened to have people kill him, court records state. Moore told police that when they were together in Cowell's parked car, "things got crazy, and it was either me or him," according to court records.

Moore said he stabbed Cowell multiple times inside and outside the car, court records state. Moore told police in a statement that he ran home, bandaged his hand and attended his prom.

Moore played defensive back for Lake Taylor and was cited by The Virginian-Pilot in a story as a top-50 high school football prospect going into his senior year.

Moore is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Louis Hansen, (757) 446-2341, louis.hansen@pilotonline.com