Viswa VanapalliNBC’s ‘Dateline: Family Affair’ probes the Stephen Moore murder case from August 2010. A contentious divorce and an ensuing custody battle led to the eventual death of Stephen at the hands of his former wife Kathleen and her father Thomas Dorsett. Kathleen and Stephen’s daughter Elizabeth’s custody was one of the reasons why this story ended in Stephen’s burned body being found in the trunk of a car. Curious to know where she might be now? Here’s everything we know!
Who is Kathleen Dorsett and Stephen Moore’s Daughter?
Stephen Moore and Kathleen Dorsett were married in 2007 in New Jersey. Together, they had a daughter in 2008 called Elizabeth. The little girl was loved by her parents but it was stated that the couple’s relationship took a hit after her birth. One of Stephen’s friends said, “Stephen told me that she (Kathleen) just didn’t want him around any more.” They separated soon after and their divorce was finalized in June 2010. The ex-couple also feuded over differing schools of thought when it came to raising Elizabeth.
After their divorce, Kathleen had primary custody of Elizabeth but Stephen wanted more time with their daughter and it was something he had brought up during their divorce. While he was initially not allowed overnight visits with Elizabeth, they were later granted as part of the final divorce agreement. Furthermore, Kathleen was planning to move to Florida along with her parents and Elizabeth. While the divorce agreement also facilitated Stephen’s move there with Thomas having to financially help him, Stephen was not happy since Kathleen had allegedly tried to take Elizabeth to Florida for a week by herself.
With all of these ongoing disputes, things took a dark turn on August 16, 2010. When Stephen had come by to Kathleen’s house to drop off Elizabeth, she lured him to the back of the house under the pretext of picking up a few tools. Over there, Thomas attacked and killed him. All this while, little Elizabeth was inside with her mother. Thomas and Kathleen then got rid of Stephen’s body by abandoning it in the trunk of his mother’s car in Long Branch, New Jersey, and it was later set on fire. Stephen’s remains were discovered 2 days later.
Kathleen and Thomas’ involvement became pretty clear within a few days and they were arrested. Kathleen and her mother were also worried about Stephen’s mother Evlyn’s testimony. While in jail, Kathleen devised one last plan to disrupt that by trying to have Evlyn killed by a hitman, enlisting her mother’s help to pass on information. The police caught wind of it early and no more damage came of it, but Kathleen and her mother, Lesley, were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. In 2013, the Dorsetts pleaded guilty to the charges against them stemming from Stephen Moore’s murder.
Where is Kathleen Dorsett and Stephen Moore’s Daughter Now?
Sadly, Elizabeth lost out a chance to grow up with her parents with her father being murdered and her mother going to jail for it. Evlyn Moore was granted her custody after the arrests. Elizabeth, who would now be in her teenage years, seems to still be living with her grandmother in New Jersey by all accounts. But given the notoriety of the case and her young age, it’s understandable that they would choose to keep their life private. Not much else is known about Elizabeth’s whereabouts. However, we do hope that she is able to heal from this tragedy someday.
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