Moura expected to enter guilty plea in 2019 shooting outside Club ManchVegas

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Justin Moura. File Photo/Jeffrey Hastings

MANCHESTER, NH — Justin Moura, the city man accused in the shooting death of a Hudson woman outside a downtown nightclub last year, is expected to enter a guilty plea on March 3.

In Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District on Tuesday Moura, 35, filed a notice of intent to plead guilty in the shooting death of Tanya Hall, 34, last March 2 outside Club Manchvegas.  The agreement, however, was sealed by the court and will not become public until his plea and sentencing hearing. Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley said that is set for next Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

The night of March 2, 2019, Moura and Hall’s boyfriend, Jeremy Winslow, 34, of Manchester had a fight — pushing, shoving and punching, according to testimony from lead investigator Detective Kevin Jusza — on the dance floor of Club Manchvegas on Old Granite Street.  The two men knew each other and had had previous run-ins, according to police investigators.

After Winslow and Hall were kicked out of the club,  two men followed them as they walked to a blue Jeep Wrangler parked in the lot across from the club.   The man in the lead was Moura, according to Jusza.

Police recovered a video recording of the area outside the club which showed Moura appearing to exchange words with Winslow, although Jusza said there was no audio.  Moura turned and walked away but Winslow, Moura told the detective, yelled out the window, “I’ll kill you.”

The Jeep then knocked Moura to the ground.  Moura, who served two tours of duty in Iran as a U.S. Army infantryman, told the detective he thought he might die and went into  “fight or flight” mode.

Moura took out a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and ran after the Jeep.  He slipped on ice and the gun fired. Jusza said the rear passenger side window was shattered by the bullet which struck Hall, the mother of a young son, in the back, killing her.

If the case goes to trial, defense attorneys said they would call expert witness Roger Enoka, Ph.D., a Human Movement Consultant who would testify about how involuntary muscle contractions played a role in the shooting.

Judge Amy Messer, however, ruled Enoka could testify about the science of involuntary muscle contractions but he couldn’t give his opinion on what happened in the Moura shooting.

Defense attorneys also filed a motion asking the judge to disallow a description of The Bros as a biker gang.

Hinckley responded that the prosecution had no intention of mentioning The Bros motorcycle club.  He said Moura was a member of the club and the night of the shooting he was wearing a club vest, as were others with him.

Hinckley said the state wasn’t planning on mentioning “The Bros” other than the garb jurors would be able to see in the video and what Moura said about the club in his interview.

Defense attorney Stephen Roscan also asked the court to ban the state from presenting evidence that Moura possessed other firearms and ammunition.  Police found other guns and ammunition at Moura’s residence and in a search of his car.

About this Author

Pat Grossmith

Pat Grossmith is a freelance reporter.