She said a pop star made her do it | Forensic Files

[Music] Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at
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our website. Today's episode involves crimes against children and won't be suitable
for all listeners. [Music] In 1978, 9-year-old Tammy Moore had an exceptionally close relationship with
her mother, Marie Moore. Marie adored Tammy, and she loved being a mom. She had told Tammy that she never felt loved
by her own parents. Even though Marie was an only child, she'd always felt starved of
attention and affection. She told Tammy that her mother and father had always told her she was ugly and wouldn't
amount to anything. This upbringing resulted in Marie looking for love wherever she could find
it and constantly moving to new locations as though she was searching for something. When she unexpectedly became
pregnant in her early 20s, Marie initially considered having an abortion. But realizing that a baby
could be exactly what she'd been searching for, Marie decided to go through with the pregnancy and raise her
daughter as a single parent. She was a doting and indulgent mother. Tammy could misbehave and be rude at
times, later describing herself as a rotten child, but Marie never disciplined or reprimanded
her. Tammy didn't feel as though she was missing anything by not knowing her father. There were lots of other single
parent families in their neighborhood, and it wasn't unusual for the kids that she knew to not have a dad around.
But she did wonder sometimes who her father was. One evening, Tammy and Marie were
watching television. Out of nowhere, Tammy turned around to face her mother and asked,
"Who's my dad?" Marie pointed at the TV set and said, "He's your dad." She was pointing at American singer
songwriter Billy Joel, who was currently on the show they had been watching. In 1978, Billy Joel was one of
the biggest names in pop music, having released an album the previous year titled The Stranger that went certified
platinum. Marie told Tammy that when she was younger, she'd had an affair with Billy Joel, which had resulted in
Tammy's conception. That's why you can sing, she said. Tammy was thrilled by this news,
but Marie cautioned her that she wasn't to tell anybody. If people knew, they would
treat her differently. It had to be kept a secret. [Music] By 1981, Marie and Tammy were living in
an apartment in a narrow three-story weatherboard house in the city of Patterson, New Jersey, the state where
Marie had been born and raised. Their household had also grown. Marie's friend, 50-year-old Mary
Gardulo, had moved in with them. Although she was 15 years older than Marie, the two women were
close. Marie had also taken custody of 12-year-old Harriet Bane, who was the daughter of a
friend. Harriet's family had been going through a difficult time, so Marie had offered to take her in.
It helped that Harriet was the same age as Tammy and the two got along well. The Moore home was often bustling
with other visitors who didn't live there as well. During the summer of 1981, it
became a popular place for neighborhood kids to hang out. 35year-old Marie Moore was always
happy to play host and was seen as a fun and cool mother. She took her daughter Tammy and her
friends on outings to the beach, bowling alleys, and amusement parks. On other occasions, they'd just
stay at home singing songs at the top of their lungs around the kitchen table. It was a fun and rockous
environment for the pre-teens to escape to. Everybody was welcome, and they could stay as long as they wanted.
Three children who regularly spent time at the moors were Marie's godaughter, 12-year-old Theresa Fury, 13-year-old
Louisis Montalvo, and 14-year-old Ricky Flores. Tammy Moore thought Ricky was handsome, and she soon started dating
the boy, who was 2 years her senior. It was very much a youthful romance and wasn't
serious. Over the course of the summer, the children's attachment to Tammy's mother, Marie, led to Harriet, Theresa,
Lewis, and Ricky all calling her Mah as well. Together, they formed a tight-knit
unit that spent every day together. On Sunday, September 13, 1981, once all of the children were back at
school, Marie Moore decided to let them in on her and Tammy's secret. She told the four other children
that Tammy's real father was the pop star Billy Joel. Marie explained that she and Billy
had been married some years earlier. Marie's friend, Mary Gardulo, who also lived in the apartment, was
already aware of this connection. Marie had told her several years ago of her involvement with the famous singer
songwriter to everyone else. This news came as a [Music] surprise. But that wasn't all. Marie
told them that Billy Joel had decided to become more involved in their lives to help restore some order to the Moore
residents. The household had become too chaotic during the summer, and Billy wanted this
to be corrected. The children were confused by this sudden announcement. A few minutes later, the
home's telephone rang in the living room. Marie went to answer it. She called out that it was Billy on
the phone. Harriet, Theresa, Lewis, and Ricky were to join her in the living room, but
Tammy, and Marie's 50-year-old housemate, Mary, were not. Everyone did as they were asked,
with Tammy and Mary staying away while the other four children gathered around Marie in the living
room. They listened as Marie began relaying instructions from Billy on the other line.
She explained that they were each to start performing whatever household chores Billy asked of
them. Every day before school, they were to go to the Moore residence to complete
their chores, which would change on a weekly basis. Marie said that Billy had also
demanded that Ricky Flores become engaged to Tammy despite the pair's young ages and the fact that they were
not in a serious relationship. Ricky was to be in charge of the household alongside Marie to see if he
would make a suitable husband for Tammy. Marie added that in addition to being a pop star, Billy Joel was in the
mafia. He had organized crime connections who would harm the children's families if they disobeyed
him. If they did not do as told, or if they told anybody outside of the home what
was going on, then Billy would arrange for a bomb to detonate at the [Music] resident. The children were shocked and
scared. They liked and trusted Marie and had no reason to believe she would lie to them. Plus, they had all heard the
phone ring in the other room while she was busy talking to them. That seemed to prove that Billy
Joel really was contacting her. Mary Gardulo had become distraught and afraid upon hearing about the phone
call and was clearly already aware of Billy's role in Marie's life and the danger he
imposed. Her reaction appeared to be confirmation of Marie's claims. So, the children did as they were told.
Every day after school and sometimes before as well, they made their way to the Moore's apartment, ready to do
whatever Billy needed them to. Marie would be waiting with a list of rules and tasks that Billy had
provided over the phone. The children set about completing their chores. These included cleaning
the bathroom, dusting surfaces, and washing the dishes. Marie told Ricky that as head of
the household, he had to inspect everything after they finished. If the chores hadn't been
completed to Billy's satisfaction or performed quickly enough, then Ricky would have to discipline the other
children. On one occasion, Ricky looked everything over and told Marie that the chores had
been done. Marie replied that Billy didn't agree. He had hidden cameras set up around the apartment so that he could
survey the goings on remotely, and he'd told Marie that the children hadn't cleaned under the kitchen table
properly. At this, Ricky went to check the kitchen table. There was dirt beneath it, just as Billy
had said. This appeared to be proof that Billy was watching their every move. He went back to Marie and told her
that Billy was right. Marie told Ricky that as punishment for not doing their chores
properly, Billy wanted Ricky to beat the other kids with a whiffle ball bat, a long hollow plastic bat used to play a
variation on baseball. Ricky did so as Marie remained on the phone, relaying further directions from
Billy. A familiar routine quickly began. Each day after the children arrived at the apartment, the phone would ring and
Billy would be on the other line. While Marie held the receiver and spoke to Billy, she would ask the
children to recite the rules they'd been given. If anyone made a mistake or forgot a rule, then Marie ordered Ricky
to discipline them until they could recite the rules correctly. After any punishments had
been doled out, the kids would complete their chores with further beatings if they were deemed to have done a poor
job. The punishments grew worse over time. Marie's daughter, Tammy, was exempt from
the chores everyone else had to perform. Because her mother didn't want her around when Billy called, Tammy
would excuse herself when the phone rang and usually went outside to play. But she later recalled that on one
occasion, Ricky had entered her bedroom without asking and used a set of thumb cuffs to cuff her thumbs together,
effectively binding her hands. He then left, closing and locking the door behind
him. Tammy tried desperately to wiggle out of the thumbcuffs to no avail, and the whole time she could hear the other
children crying and begging in another part of the apartment. She later found out that her
mother and Ricky had been forcing the other children to eat cat feces. When Marie found out that Ricky had
cuffed her daughter, she reprimanded him and removed the cuffs immediately. After their daily visits to
the Moore residents, Lewis, Theresa, and Ricky would return to their respective homes where they said nothing about what
was happening. They were afraid that if they did, Billy Joel and his mafia connections would harm their families as
Marie had warned. Lewis Montalvo, who lived nearby with both of his parents, was punished less
than the other children. Harriet Bane, who was residing with the Moors at the time, suffered the
worst of the beatings. Because Ricky Flores had been tasked with keeping the other children
in line, he mostly escaped physical punishment, but the threat of it was always there.
Sometimes Marie took it upon herself to discipline him. She would occasionally hit Ricky, telling him that Billy had
demanded it because Ricky had lied or failed to keep the others in line. One way that Ricky could escape
abuse himself was by coming up with inventive ways to punish the other children. Marie told him that was a way
to impress Billy. Occasionally, Marie told Ricky that he had to hit her as well. Sometimes he had to use his hands,
other times, an item such as a book or a bat. Marie seemed to enjoy these punishments, often telling Ricky that he
hadn't hit her hard enough. Ricky was also given other jobs to perform. Marie was a recreational
drug user, but she said that Billy wanted her to stop this habit. He asked Ricky to take possession of some pills
she had as well as her house keys. That way, she wouldn't be able to take the drugs or go out at
night. Ricky agreed, keeping these items hidden at his own home. Apparently, Billy had also changed his
mind about wanting Ricky to marry his daughter, Tammy. Marie told Ricky that Billy now
wanted him to break up with her instead. Ricky did so. By midocctober, the abusive dynamic
had been in place for over a month. Ricky had stopped attending school so he could be at the Moore residence all day
long. This was supposedly what Billy wanted. On Friday, October 16, Marie Moore placed a phone call to Ricky's
parents informing them that Ricky was planning to work at the Jersey Shore that weekend, so wouldn't be returning
home. This upset Ricky's mother. She didn't approve of the amount of time her son was spending with Marie Moore and
had already told him to come straight home after school that day. Her suspicions peaked. Ricky's mother
phoned her son's school to check up on him. She was informed that he hadn't been attending school
lately. Apparently, a woman who had identified herself as his mother had called to let them know Ricky had heard
his back and would be taking some sick leave. Ricky's parents planned to confront their son, but he didn't come
home that night. He spent the entire weekend at the moors, returning home on the night of
Sunday, October 18. His mother confronted him when he got back, informing him that he was now
grounded. She or his father would drive him to and from school every day so they
could make sure he was in class. This new system was implemented the following day.
As Ricky's mother drove her son to school, she noticed she was being trailed by a Ford Pinto, the same car
that Marie Moore drove. The same thing happened when she picked Ricky up from school and
continued throughout the entire week. 5 days went by without Ricky Flores following violent orders that had
supposedly been demanded by Billy Joel. On the morning of Saturday, October 24, Ricky left his house and ran
to a nearby corner where Marie was waiting to pick him up. When he got in her car, Marie said that he had to move
into her home for 4 weeks. Billy was ordering it as a way to help Marie stop taking drugs for
good. He wasn't to tell his parents where he was going, but he should keep checking in with them so they knew he
was safe. Ricky wanted to help Marie get better, so he agreed to this plan. But the temporary situation became
more permanent about a week later when Marie informed Ricky that his mother had filed a police complaint against
him. This meant she didn't care about him. Marie explained he would have to keep living with
her. It was true that Mrs. Flores had filed a police complaint against Ricky for being quote weward and
incourageable, but she had only done so in a desperate attempt to get her some back. Even though Ricky was still
calling her two or three times every day, he was deliberately distant when they spoke, just repeatedly affirming
that he was happy he no longer lived at home and had no plans to move back. Mrs. Flores suspected that Ricky
was living at Marie Moore's home and repeatedly called Marie to ask where he was. Marie denied knowing anything
regarding Ricky's whereabouts and even invited Mrs. Flores to come over and search the house
herself. Mrs. Flores declined this offer, instead reporting the matter to the police.
Officers and case workers from the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, New Jersey's then state
agency that investigated cases relating to child abuse, paid several visits to the Moore home over the next month, but
never found any trace of Ricky. Whenever they attended the property, Marie would make him hide in a
crawl space located in one of the bedrooms. Not long after Ricky moved into the Moor's apartment, Marie Moore came home
one day with some alarming news. Tammy, Mary Gardullo, Ricky, Lewis, Harriet, and Theresa all gathered
around as Marie told them that some of Billy's men had made her pull over while she was driving home.
Against her will, they'd injected her with a drug, something that would allow Billy to take possession of her body and
to speak through her. Marie asked them to give her some coffee to counteract the effects of the
drug. As Marie sat at the kitchen table sipping her coffee, she suddenly put her
mug down and covered her face with her hands. She sat that way for a couple of minutes, then lowered her hands
again. Marie's facial expression was different. It was meaner than usual. Her entire demeanor had changed,
and when she spoke, her voice sounded cold and angry. It was also deeper, like a
man's. "I'm not Marie, I'm Billy," she said. She began verbally abusing the children
and barking orders at them. She also swore at them a lot, which was something Marie never
did. From then on, the daily phone calls from Billy stopped. Whenever there were demands
from him to be passed on, Marie would sit and hold her face in her hands as Billy took possession of her.
She would then shout commands at Ricky, who would do her bidding. Lewis Montalvo was struggling
with the ongoing abuse and torture. Unlike some of the other children, Lewis came from a stable home
and his parents were still together. They lived nearby and Lewis had a curfew he had to follow each
evening. Nevertheless, he didn't dare tell his family about what happened when he went
to Marie Moore's house each day in case it put them in harm's way. Lewis later said that one day while
he was at Marie's home, he had tried to kill himself. Quote, "I was just tired of all the beating and everything that
happened to me." Lewis had gone upstairs to the attic window and was planning to jump
out of it. Suddenly, Ricky chased after him and took him back downstairs to Marie. Then the phone began to
ring. It was Billy and Marie passed on his message. Even if Lewis killed himself,
it wouldn't matter because his family would still be killed, too. That put a stop to any thoughts of
suicide. One day at the end of October, Marie called Lewis into the living room where
she was sitting with Ricky. She said that Billy had decided Lewis didn't have to visit the Moore
household anymore. He could return home that day and never come back. But first, Ricky would give him
something to remind him not to say anything. Ricky then escorted Lewis to Mary Gardulo's bedroom and told Lewis to
raise his hands over his head. Lewis did as he was told. Ricky began beating him with his
fists, giving him a bloody nose. When he was done, Lewis went home and never went to Marie's apartment
again. He didn't tell his parents about anything that had happened over the past
month and a half. He was too scared that if he did, they would become victims of
Billy [Music] Joel. After Lewis left, the pattern at the Moore residence continued without
him. Harriet Bane and Theresa Fury had to do whatever they were told and Ricky would
administer punishments as expected. Several times a day he would beat them with a whiffle ball bat.
Sometimes he hit them with heavy books instead after Billy Joel told him the bat wasn't hard
enough. Harriet would later recall being made to lie naked on a bed while Ricky beat her with a book.
The radio was turned up high so the neighbors wouldn't hear her scream. As a full-time resident of the
household with no family nearby, Harriet was still receiving the worst assaults. Initially, Mary Gardulo, Marie
Moore's 50-year-old housemate, was spared from the abuse that the children were subjected to.
She was obviously terrified of Billy, but still tried to intervene where she could by attempting to stop Ricky from
hurting Harriet. This prompted Marie to pass along a message from Billy. Mary was
being too nosy and was butdding in, so she would have to start doing chores as well. Ricky was told to include Mary in
his punishments. From then on, he started beating her as well. Marie Moore began to keep her
windows nailed shut and doors almost always closed. This prevented sounds from the victims being overheard by
neighbors who lived on other floors of the building or in the houses that sat close next
door. It also prevented those inside from leaving. A couple of times after the abuse had begun, Harriet Bane had tried
to escape without success. On Friday, November 27, 1981, the day after Thanksgiving, and more
than 2 months into the abuse, Harriet made a third attempt to flee. This time, she succeeded, running
from the house barefoot and jacketless into the cold late autumn weather. Her first thought was to run to her
brother's house. He lived in Loi, which was 7 mi southeast of Patterson. Harriet ran in that general
direction, but didn't know exactly where to go. A few times, she stopped to ask nearby strangers for directions.
She managed to make her way to Elmwood Park, a neighborhood 5 mi east of where she'd started in Patterson and just 2 mi
from her brother's home. However, one of the people Harriet asked for directions became concerned by
her appearance. They phoned the police, reporting that a girl without a jacket or shoes was wandering around Elmwood
Park. Some officers were dispatched and began driving towards where Harriet was last
seen. They caught up to her on Route 46, a busy highway that runs from east to west New
Jersey. Harriet was wandering along the four-lane highway, still barefoot and cold. When she spotted the police car,
she ran in fear, but the officers were able to catch up to her. They took her to their station and
Harriet gave them a statement. She didn't provide them with Marie Moore's name or that of Ricky
Flores and refused to disclose exactly where she had come from. Harriet was terrified of being
sent back to Marie's house. However, she did explain some of the abuse she'd suffered and said that someone named
boss or sir had been beating her at the direction of another individual. Harriet was later taken to a
hospital to be examined. Her body was covered with bruises and other injuries that
confirmed she'd been the victim of serious violence. Harriet was kept in the hospital for one
week and provided further statements while there. After speaking with two case workers from the Division of Child
Protection and Permanency, Harriet finally revealed the full details of her story, telling them about Billy Joel and
his connections to the mafia. She gave them Ricky and Marie's names as well as Marie's address.
The case workers were stunned by the story, which sounded implausible and outlandish. Nevertheless, they opened an
investigation into the matter, beginning with a visit to Marie Moore. Marie listened calmly as the two
DYFS case workers told her of the allegations against her. She denied that Ricky Flores lived there or that there
had been any violence under her roof. Presenting as trustworthy and believable, Marie suggested that maybe
Harriet had fantasized this entire incredible tale. The case workers were inclined to
listen to her. Even though Harriet had clearly been beaten, the story she'd told was hard to
believe. Nor could they see any indication that Ricky Flores was residing at Marie's home.
Unsure what else to do, they recommended that Harriet Bane not return to Marie's
apartment and sent the 12-year-old to complete a 90-day program at a mental health diagnostic center
instead. The case workers later recommended the case be investigated by Patterson police, but for some reason it
wasn't picked up. DYFS didn't check in again to find out why. Back at the Moore residence, Harriet's
escape had created havoc. Marie told Ricky that Harriet had been killed. Billy Joel had run her down
in his car. Ricky took this seriously, seeing it as further evidence of Billy's power and
danger. Privately, Marie told her daughter Tammy that she'd let Harriet go home.
Tammy was shielded from much of the goings on in the residence and saw Ricky as the household's
aggressor. To her, this proved that her mother was helping where possible by letting Harriet
leave. For Mary Gardulo and Theresa Fury, Harriet's escape led to worse punishments. In the weeks after Harriet
fled, Ricky Flores began forcing the two to undress and would then thumbcuff each
of them naked. One of their thumbs would be cuffed to one of their big toes, and
they would both have to lie on their stomachs in this uncomfortable position for up to an
hour. Ricky continued to inflict beatings with the bat and books. Sometimes he kicked them as well or
burnt them with cigarettes. Months went by like this with the violence against Mary and
Theresa escalating as Ricky felt the increasing pressure from Billy. One morning in January 1982,
Ricky was having a conversation with Marie in the kitchen. Marie was possessed by Billy at
the time and was talking in her gruffer, more masculine way. Speaking as Billy, she told Ricky
that Marie loved him and asked if he wanted to be her boyfriend or her son. Ricky replied that he saw Marie as
a mother. Billy told Ricky that he'd need to decide which he was going to be, warning that Ricky shouldn't hurt Marie.
Billy had harmed other men who had done [Music] so. Speaking as herself, Marie also put
pressure on Ricky. She had been diagnosed with epilepsy 6 years after having Tammy and told Ricky that
sometimes she had seizures at night. She asked him to sleep in her bed with her so he could help if she began having a
seizure. Ricky agreed. Soon, Marie told him that she was sexually attracted to him and wanted
them to have a physical relationship. Ricky said he'd rather not, as he still saw Marie as a
mother. Marie wasn't happy with this, telling Ricky, "Well, I have my needs, and if
they can't be met, then I have to go somewhere else." Ricky felt as though he had no other
option and nowhere to go. From February 1982 on, Marie began sexually abusing him. At around the same time, the Moore
household moved to a new apartment just down the street on Madison Avenue. Like their previous apartment, this was
a weatherboard home that had originally been a single dwelling. It was owned by an elderly man
named Ferdinando Ragusa, who Marie was friends with. They would be residing on the second floor, while Ferdinando was
on the ground floor. Marie and Tammy Moore, Ricky Flores, and Mary Gardulo all lived at the apartment,
while Theresa Fury still returned to her grandmother's house at night to sleep. Months went by and the terrible
abuses continued. In late May 1982, Mary Gardullo hatched a plan to escape. On the evening of Sunday, May
30, Mary told Marie that she wanted to take a shift at work the following day, which was Memorial Day. Because it was a
holiday, Mary would make time and a half instead of her usual wage. Marie agreed, intending to take
Mary's earnings for herself. She let Mary leave the home the next day without incident.
Mary wasn't really rosted on that day. She had just wanted access to a telephone. She used the phone at work to
call her siblings and ask for help. They collected their sister and drove her to Tom's River on the Jersey
Shore about an hour and a half's drive from Patterson. After hearing Mary's story,
her siblings had her speak with the detective from the Tom's River Police Department.
Over 3 hours, Mary gradually opened up to the detective. She showed him the bruises
and burns that covered her body. He later described Mary as very distraught and emotionally destroyed and in very,
very poor physical condition. Mary was taken to a hospital for medical treatment and provided an official
statement about the physical abuse and torture Ricky Flores had inflicted on her. Mary said that a child named
Theresa Fury was also being abused in the same way and provided Marie Moore's address where they could find her.
Mary said that Marie knew everything that was going on, but made no mention of singer songwriter Billy Joel's
supposed involvement. Given Marie's home was out of their jurisdiction and it involved
the abuse of a minor, the Tom's River Police referred the matter to the PA County Division of Child Protection and
Permanency and the Juvenile Division of the Patterson Police Department. On Monday, June 7, DFS
assigned the case to social worker Kathy Delipesca, who followed the matter up immediately.
She went to the school that Tammy Moore and Theresa Fury attended and spoke to both girls about Mary's
allegations. The girls said they knew nothing about any violence in the home, but said they had recently seen Ricky
Flores there. This was significant as Ricky was still missing from his parents' home.
After these conversations, Kathy Delipesca visited Marie Moore to ask her about the
allegations. Marie adamantly denied them, telling Kathy that Theresa was her godchild and she would never allow her
to be harmed. She also stated that she hadn't seen Ricky Flores in about 6 months.
When Kathy informed Marie that both girls said they'd recently seen Ricky in the Moore home, Marie corrected herself
and said he'd just visited briefly a few weeks earlier. Kathy Delipesca returned to her
office to conduct some further investigations, including speaking with the case worker who'd handled Harriet
Bane's case 7 months earlier. Deciding the issue was serious enough to warrant action, Kathy went back to the
Moore residence later that same day with three detectives from the Patterson Police
Department. Two of the detectives headed around the back of the residence while Kathy and a detective from the
department's juvenile division knocked on the front door. Marie Moore let them in. When Theresa Fury saw the officials
standing there, she tried to escape via the back door only to be stopped by the waiting
detectives. Meanwhile, Kathy Delipesca and the other detective were grilling Marie about the suspected
abuse. Marie repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Kathy asked Theresa to remove some of her clothing to check for
injuries. As Theresa did so, Kathy noticed significant bruising. Both Theresa and Marie seemed
surprised by this with Theresa explaining that she must have fallen at school. Kathy Delipesca arranged for
Theresa to visit a doctor who said the girl's bruises weren't consistent with a fall.
She had cigarette burns and other injuries that indicated she had been beaten by another
person. The day after this appointment, Kathy took Theresa and Harriet Bane to the police station to make
statements. Harriet, who'd escaped from the Moore home 7 months earlier, was more forthcoming.
She explained that Ricky Flores administered the beatings, but that he did so at the instruction of Billy Joel,
who spoke through Marie Moore. Theresa was reluctant to talk until the police told her they were only
interested in arresting Ricky. She made allegations against him, but adamantly defended Marie.
Marie was summoned for questioning that same day. Initially, she persisted in denying
everything. Her tone began to change, however, when detectives showed her a statement made by Mary
Gardulo. Marie began to change her tune, conceding that there had been violence in her home.
She said that on a recent weekend, Ricky Flores had visited and made sexual advances towards her. When she rejected
him, he became violent. Mary Gardulo had rushed to her defense, prompting Ricky to lash out at
her as well. Marie said she'd never seen Ricky hurt Theresa, but said he'd threatened
to harm her own daughter, Tammy, if she reported him. That was why she'd denied the
allegations so firmly. Marie denied knowing where Ricky was now. Detectives told her to call them if
she saw him, and Marie agreed. Investigators chased up Lewis Montalvo to see if he could verify any of the
claims made from his own time spent at the home, but Lewis said he knew nothing about
them. Over the next few months, the case remained open. DYFS case workers checked in on
Theresa Fury every so often. 12-year-old Theresa hadn't had an easy start to life. She had been raised by
her maternal grandparents since she was two. Theresa's mother struggled with the
drug addiction and so her parents took Theresa in. When she was about 8 years old, her
father had died of cancer. A few years later, in March 1980, Theresa's grandfather died. One
month after that, her mother passed away from a drug overdose. At just 10 years old, Theresa
was an orphan. It was just her and her grandmother, Catherine Joyer, at home. Despite the early grief and loss
Theresa had experienced, she had a lot of joy in her life. She loved swimming, dancing, and playing baseball.
Her favorite TV show was The Brady Bunch, and she enjoyed playing video games. Theresa collected Barbie dolls
and had a teddy bear she slept with every night. Petite with the chestnut brown hair and brown eyes, Theresa liked
to wear pretty dresses. Locals in her neighborhood would often see her after school buying
ice cream, soda, or candy. Theresa had spoken over the years about becoming a nurse or maybe a
secretary. She loved Halloween and always made an effort with her costumes. But Theresa's grandmother,
Catherine, had noticed changes in her after she started spending more time with Marie
Moore. Theresa had stopped wearing the dresses she once loved, instead opting for jeans.
She often came home from visiting the Moore home in a bad mood with Catherine describing her as
cranky. The much younger Marie had tried to offer the older woman advice on raising Theresa, telling her that she
was too old-fashioned and old. Marie didn't approve of the 10 p.m. curfew Catherine insisted upon and said
she should let Theresa date and wear makeup. Catherine had raised Theresa as a Catholic. When it came time for
Theresa's first communion, Catherine couldn't find any proof that Theresa's mother had her baptized. So, she
arranged for a priest to do so in April 1981. Theresa would need god parents, so
Catherine suggested an aunt take on the role. But Theresa refused, saying that she wanted Marie Moore to be her
godmother. That was the only way she would agree to participate in the church. Catherine agreed to Theresa's
terms and she made her first communion on Sunday, May 2, 1982, one month before DYFS case workers
would start looking into whether she was being abused under Marie's roof. Not long after this, Marie Moore began
asking Catherine to give her $5 each week and an extra $10 each month to pay for special books and tutoring for
Theresa who was having trouble with her homework. This request didn't seem strange as Theresa spent a lot of time
at Marie's home and Catherine assumed she was helping the girl with her schooling due to her role as godmother.
She gave Marie the money, but never saw any evidence of the new textbooks or tutoring. Theresa seemed to love
spending time at Marie, often spending more time there than at home. Although, whenever Catherine did see her, she
didn't seem very happy. Late in the summer of 1982, Theresa became even more irritable.
On one occasion, she threw an ashtray at Catherine when asked to pick up her clothes. Then one day in early
September, Theresa failed to return home at her usual time. Catherine called the police and an
alert was issued. Theresa reappeared the next day, telling her grandmother she'd spent the
night with a friend. Catherine suspected she'd actually been at Marie Moors, even though Theresa had
been told by DYFS case workers that she should avoid that residence. Theresa had been adamant that
the bruises all over her body were the result of falling down the stairs at school, but the matter was still being
investigated. On Wednesday, September 15, Theresa turned 13. Exactly 1 week later on Wednesday,
September 22, Theresa was at home in the morning getting ready for school. Just as she was about to leave,
she turned around to ask Catherine what was for dinner that night. Then she headed out the front
door. Theresa didn't come home that night. Consumed by worry, Catherine Joyer phoned the police to report the
disappearance as well as a local newspaper. Wanting to spread awareness in case Theresa had run away, she told
the paper, "Tell her that her nanny is sick and worried. Tell her I can't eat or
sleep. Tell her all I do is cry." Catherine went to Marie Moore's house to check if Theresa was
there. Marie let her in and they talked in the kitchen. Marie said she had no idea
where Theresa was and there was no indication that she was there. Catherine didn't know what to do
except wait for her granddaughter to come home. Weeks went by and then months with no
word from Theresa. Then in December 1982, 3 months after Theresa had vanished, Catherine
received a phone call from Marie Moore. Marie said she'd spoken to Theresa. The 13-year-old was working for
a carnival and had asked Marie to tell Catherine Merry [Music] Christmas. Throughout the first half of
1983, the Moore home was a lot quieter than it had been in previous years. Marie, Tammy, and Ricky Flores were the
only residents. Now, in late May 1983, Marie told the now 16-year-old Ricky that he needed to
get a job to bring money into the household. She took him to a factory to see if they would hire him, telling the
staff there that she was his mother. Ricky was hired and Marie informed his employer that she would be
collecting him every day for lunch and after his shift. No one but her was to pick him up.
Ricky's family hadn't seen him in over 18 months. He'd stayed in touch with his mother over the phone, but none of his
relatives knew where to find him. One day during the first week of July, Ricky's brother, Philillip, who
worked repairing typewriters, was sent to a factory on a service call. While he was there, he spotted an
employee whom he thought looked a lot like his younger brother. Philip asked a factory supervisor for
the name of the employee and was told Ricky Flores. Philip left immediately and went
home to get his mother. Then he drove the two of them back to the factory. They headed for the front
office and had Ricky paged. When Ricky approached, he saw his mother and brother standing there.
Oh my god, mom," he said before fleeing on foot. Philillip tried to chase after his
brother, but Ricky quickly disappeared. Ricky didn't return to work after that, but his mother notified the
police of the sighting. She still had charges out against her son, and she wanted them
pursued as she believed this was the best chance she had of getting Ricky home. A detective assigned to the case
obtained Ricky's employment records from the factory and soon had a residential address for the
teenager. It turned out that Ricky was still living with Marie Moore and her daughter Tammy and the trio had just
recently moved from their apartment on Madison Avenue to a new address one mile away.
A juvenile warrant was issued for Ricky and two detectives headed over to the Moore residence on Tuesday, July
12th. At first, it appeared that Ricky wasn't at home. The detectives conducted a search
of the property and soon found Ricky hiding beneath a sink. Both he and Marie Moore were
arrested and taken in for questioning. Ricky refused to speak and was eventually released into his mother's
custody. Marie, however, was very talkative. She told detectives that the only reason she housed Ricky Flores was
because he was in the mafia and his boss had threatened her. Marie subsequently reneaked these allegations and
eventually admitted that she had a sexual relationship with the 16-year-old. She said that Ricky was a sweet, loving
boy who had never harmed Harriet Bane or Theresa Fury, but admitted he had once beaten Mary Gardulo because she was
quote interfering in our lives. Noting that Theresa Fury was officially a missing person, police
asked Marie if she knew where she was. Marie said she hadn't heard from Theresa since September 1982, almost a year
earlier. Charges were filed against Marie for her treatment of Ricky. She was charged with having sex with a
minor, interfering with custody, and endangering child welfare. Detectives added another charge for the
false statement Marie had provided more than a year earlier in 1982 when she said Ricky had never harmed Mary
Gardulo. Marie was permitted to return home until it was time to appear in court.
After that, there was no further contact between Ricky Flores and Marie Moore, and it was now just Marie and her
daughter Tammy at home. They moved houses yet again, not long after Marie was charged. Several months went by with
police hearing nothing from the Moore household. Then, on Saturday, December 17, 1983, they received a call from
Marie Moore. She said that her daughter Tammy had just disclosed something terrible. She
had been sexually abused by Ricky Flores while he had been living with them. And that wasn't all. Based on what
Tammy had told her, Marie suspected that Ricky was behind Theresa Fury's disappearance.
Marie thought Ricky had killed Theresa and possibly hidden her body somewhere at their previous address on Madison
Avenue where they had lived throughout 1982. They had resided on the second and third floors of the apartment with their
landlord Ferdinando Ragusa living on the ground level. Police interviewed Tammy who
provided a statement accusing Ricky Flores of sexual assault. She said that Ricky had raped her and
that she had also witnessed him kill Theresa. 3 days later, two detectives went to the Madison Avenue address to
conduct a search. The property's owner, Ferdinando Regusa, met them there, and Marie Moore
was present as well. She pointed out a depression in the yard where she said a body could
have been buried. Then the group went up to the third floor to look around. Marie pointed at a spot in the
ceiling and suggested that Theresa's body could have been placed in the attic above. She also pointed out a panled
area in a wall of one of the bedrooms. The detectives took a closer look. The portion of the ceiling Marie
had pointed at had a piece of wood that was concealing a hole in the plaster. One of the detectives clambered up into
the attic crawl space and looked around. He noticed a roll of duct tape and some white powder that he identified
as lime, a mineral sometimes used in the disposal of carcasses. There was also a tray covered
in melted candle wax, but there was no body. When he climbed back down, the other
detective noticed a foul odor wafting from the attic. The detectives left and returned
the next day with the crew and dug up the part of the yard Marie Moore had indicated. There was nothing
there. The following day of Thursday, December 22, police received a call at 9:00 a.m. from Ferdinando Reagusa.
He wanted to know if they would be back to search the house more thoroughly that
day. The detective who took the call said they wouldn't and they were actually thinking of closing the
investigation entirely. 15 minutes after that call, the phone rang again. This time it was Marie Moore
calling to confirm that they were really planning to cancel the investigation. After being told that they were, Marie
arrived at the station in person in less than an hour. She was carrying a piece of insulation from the Madison Avenue
apartment which was stained with blood. This was further evidence that somebody had been killed at the
residence and the police should keep looking. Once again, police returned to the Madison Avenue residence for another
search. While they were at the apartment, Marie Moore and Ferdinando Reggusa pointed out
something they had discovered. It was in the bedroom Marie had drawn attention to the other
day. A portion of one of the walls seemed out of place. It was covered in wallpaper like
the rest of the wall, but there was clearly something beneath the paper. Pulling back the wallpaper, Marie and
Ferdinando revealed a hole that had been clumsily concealed with a piece of wood
nailed to the wall. When the wood was removed, a crawl space became visible. Looking inside the crawl space,
detectives saw something there. It was an object wrapped in a lightly stained quilt and tied with a
rope. At the base of the object, some plastic bags protruded from the quilt with duct
tape wrapped around them. The object appeared to have the form of a human body with lime sprinkled
liberally where the head would be. It was carefully removed from the crawl space and laid out on the wooden
floor of the bedroom. Detectives took photographs of the object before removing the quilt, which
was covered with dark red and brown stains. Without the quilt, it became obvious that the object wrapped in
plastic bags and duct tape was the small body of Theresa Fury. It would take some time for the truth to
emerge, but police eventually learned what had happened to Theresa. After DYFS case workers had
taken an interest in her, Marie Moore had become worried. In September 1982, she convinced the 13-year-old girl to
run away from her grandmother's house where she lived and stay permanently with her.
By now, Theresa was the only child still being physically abused and beaten at Marie's
command. Marie refused to let Theresa attend school, not wanting anyone to find out about her
abuse. In late October 1982, the four of them moved from the second floor apartment at the Madison Avenue address
to the third floor. Up there, the abuse of Theresa grew even worse. During the day, she was kept thumbcuffed
to a hook on the kitchen wall. At night, Ricky would move her to the bathroom and
cuff her to the bathtub. She would have to sleep there all night only to be escorted down to
the kitchen in the morning to be cuffed again. This pattern repeated for months. When visitors came over, Theresa
was forced to hide in a cupboard. Marie and Ricky deprived Theresa of food, leading to her becoming
emaciated. They wouldn't let her use the toilet, instead giving her a potty to use. Then they made her wear disposable
nappies with nothing else. She was forced to consume animal excrement and her body was scrubbed with
bathroom cleaning agents. A clothes peg was attached to her tongue to silence her
screams. Theresa was also sexually abused by Ricky, sometimes with objects. Marie Moore began taking the
young girl downstairs to Ferdinando Reggusa's apartment where she was sexually abused by the elderly man. In
exchange, Reggusa gave Marie money. Theresa's health deteriorated as a result of the ongoing abuse. One morning
in January 1983, she fainted. Marie Moore removed her cuffs and helped her regain consciousness only
to put the thumbcuffs back on once Theresa came around. She slept cuffed to the bathtub
that night as she always did. The following morning, Marie told Ricky to move Theresa from the bathroom
to the kitchen so that her daughter Tammy could shower. When Ricky went to the bathroom,
he saw Theresa lying face down on the floor. He unccuffed her, but she didn't stand up on her own as she usually
did. Ricky hoisted Theresa up to her knees by placing his arms under her shoulders. When he let go so she could
finish getting up on her own, Theresa fell forward, smacking her head on the porcelain bathtub, then hitting the
floor. Ricky picked Theresa up and carried her into the hallway. She began to moan before
falling silent. Ricky pressed down on her stomach and her body made a gurgling sound.
Tammy, whose bedroom was directly across from the bathroom, had seen Theresa fall
and hit her head. She called out for her mother, who came running. When Ricky told Marie what had
happened, Marie assumed that Theresa had died. She told Tammy to leave for school, then told Ricky to move the body
to a crawl space in the bathroom while she went out to buy supplies. She returned with a yellow garment bag,
which they placed Theresa's body in. The bag was then moved up to the attic before Ricky Flores later wrapped
it in garbage bags and ate rolls of duct tape at Marie's instruction. Theresa's remains were then
covered with insulation and stashed in a corner of the attic. Marie told her daughter Tammy that they
had sent Theresa's body to Tammy's father, Billy Joel, in New York City. An autopsy would later confirm
that Theresa had received potentially fatal blows to the face and head, consistent with hitting the bathtub and
tiled floor, respectively. However, the injury to her face could have also been caused by
someone kicking her. It would have taken Theresa between 4 and 8 hours to die from these injuries,
meaning she had likely been alive when she was wrapped in plastic and duct tape. The decomposition of her soft
tissue made it impossible for the medical examiner to determine if she had suffocated to
death. Theresa's body was kept in the attic for 5 or 6 months. when it started to smell. Marie and Ricky used lime to
try and mask the odor. As Marie, Ricky, and Tammy prepared to move out from the Madison
Avenue apartment in the summer of 1983, Marie said they would have to relocate Theresa. Speaking as Billy, she
explained that if the property had electrical problems, then an electrician would have to go up to the attic and
would find the body. Marie removed Theresa's body from the attic, wrapped it in a quilt tied with
robe, and then lowered it down to Ricky, who was standing below. The two then hid the body in the
bedroom crawl space, where it remained until detectives found it 6 months later in December
1983. Marie Moore had spoken to Theresa's grandmother several times throughout the year between Theresa's
death and her body's discovery. Each time she feigned an interest in Theresa's well-being. The last time she had spoken
to Catherine Joyer was in September 1983 when she asked if she had heard from her
granddaughter [Music] lately. During yet another police interview, Marie initially insisted she
hadn't witnessed Theresa's murder, but she later changed her story. She said she'd seen Ricky Flores slam
Theresa's head into the bathtub and that he had hidden her body all by himself. She claimed that she'd only
ever tried to help Theresa. Maria admitted that Billy Joel, as she'd described him, didn't really
exist, but there was something about Ricky Flores that brought Billy out in her. When one of the detectives tried to
coax the Billy persona from Marie, nothing happened. She claimed that ever since
Ricky had left her home, Billy had vanished as well. But this wasn't exactly true.
After Ricky moved back to his family's home, Marie had made repeated attempts to contact him to no avail.
In September 1983, a family of four known as the Santiago had moved into her home. They were 20-year-old Horge Oyola,
17-year-old Lydia Santiago, and their two daughters, aged 2 and 1. Just as Marie had done with the children
who visited her previously, she groomed this new family by befriending the young
mother and her 15-year-old sister. They would go shopping, head to the cinema, or just get high at their
apartment. In response to Marie's kindness, the Santiago family began to call her Ma.
Marie confided in the family about her prior relationship with musician Billy Joel and told them he was her daughter's
father as well as a mafia boss. She also told them about Ricky Flores, claiming he was in the mafia as
well and worked with Billy. The apartment's phone began to ring with calls from Billy, just as it
had years earlier. One day, Marie returned home and said she'd been injected with a drug that
would permit Billy to possess her body. She then transformed into Billy. Lydia and her sister believed
this was legitimate, though Jorge did not. Despite Ricky Flores no longer being at the home, Marie remained
fixated with him. Sometimes she would stalk Ricky in her car while a member of the Santiago
family was with her. She also had the Santiago pass on messages to the teenage boy. Sometimes these messages were her
declaring her love for him. Other times they were threats to report him to the police if he didn't return to Marie.
Marie told Lydia that if the police ever questioned her, she should tell them that Ricky had threatened Marie and her
daughter Tammy via the telephone. One time, while pretending to be possessed by Billy Joel, Marie
offered Jorge and Lydia $50,000 to kill Ricky Flores. The couple never took her up on
this offer. Marie began coming up with a plan to implicate Ricky in Theresa's murder
instead before he could implicate her. Lydia and Jorge had overheard Marie coaching Tammy to say that Ricky had
raped her and killed Theresa. She wrote a story down detailing the rape and how Ricky had
beaten Theresa to death, then had Tammy memorize and rehearse it repeatedly. [Music]
When Marie had started calling the police to report her suspicion that Ricky was behind Theresa Fury's
disappearance, detectives knew that she was more involved than she let on. They lied and told her they were
planning to close the investigation in order to coax her into revealing exactly where Theresa's body was.
On Wednesday, December 28th, 1983, Marie Moore was charged with Theresa's murder. Detectives had obtained a number
of statements from witnesses who had seen firsthand exactly how the abuse at the Moore residence had
unfolded. They believed that although Ricky had committed much of the physical abuse, he had been controlled by Marie
using the guise of Billy. They also had evidence from the Santiago that she'd started to repeat the same
pattern with them. After reviewing all of the evidence, they decided not to charge
Ricky Flores as an adult. He was offered a plea deal where he would be charged as
a juvenile with a maximum sentence of 3 years in exchange for testifying against
Marie Moore. In April 1984, a grand jury returned a 33-count indictment against Marie Moore, charging her with crimes
against multiple victims, including sexual assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping, extortion, endangering the
welfare of a child, and felony murder. People who knew Marie Moore were puzzled over what had happened to her.
The crimes she had been charged with didn't match the person they'd known. Her parents couldn't understand what had
gone wrong. Although Marie had always told her daughter Tammy that she'd been deprived of love as a child, her parents
told a different story. Her mother had become a stay-at-home parent so she could spend
as much time with her daughter as possible. Her father told reporters that if anything, Marie had been a little
spoiled due to being an only child. As a teenager, Marie hadn't been withdrawn or moody. She loved animals,
fashion, and took care of her appearance. She seemed to get along well with classmates, and always behaved at
home. The only time I saw her lose her temper was when I bought her a secondhand bike
that she couldn't learn to ride. Marie's father told journalist Rosalie Longo. She was so angry she threw it in
the garbage on the street. I felt so bad I bought her a new one on her birthday. After Marie enrolled at
college, there were hints at something else going on beneath the surface. Marie had loved school and initially
planned on becoming a teacher, but she dropped out of college a few semesters in. She didn't tell her parents about
this, instead pretending she was still studying while secretly working in a friend's beauty
salon. She told her parents other lies as well. On one occasion, she said she'd won a scholarship when she hadn't.
Another time she said she needed money to fix her car after getting into an accident. When they examined the car,
there wasn't a scratch on it. Marie moved out of home at the age of 19 and frequently relocated to new
addresses. There were rumors she had married a disabled 66-year-old man while still in her late teens, but nothing was
known about him. During the mid70s around 6 years after the birth of her daughter, Marie Moore
was diagnosed with epilepsy. She began suffering seizures which were witnessed by other
people. Marie eventually left New Jersey and went to California for a time. Her parents knew little about what she had
gotten up to while living on the West Coast. Mary Gardulo, Marie's older friend, who
had been abused by her throughout 1981 and 1982, knew a little more. In 1978, she went to California to
visit Marie and Tammy, staying in their apartment with them. During this visit, Marie Moore had
confided in Mary that Tammy's father was Billy Joel. She also said her nextdoor neighbor, a
woman named Helen, was in the mafia with Billy and was keeping her in line at his
request. Mary believed these stories partly because she often heard Marie seemingly being tortured and abused when
she went to visit Helen. Mary wanted to help Marie, but Marie warned her to stay out of it. if
you know what's good for you. When Mary wanted to go home to New Jersey, Marie warned that Billy would
bomb her airplane. Mary caught the flight anyway, and Marie later told her that the only
reason she was still alive was because Marie had convinced Billy to leave the plane alone.
This prior experience was why Mary had been inclined to believe Marie when Billy reappeared several years later in
1981. In turn, Mary's obvious fear about the situation had helped convince the children at Marie's home that the threat
was real. When Marie moved back to New Jersey, some noted a change in her with one friend saying that she'd become
quote a hard, cold woman. Marie's parents also noticed she seemed different. Her usually
well-groomed hair was disheveled and damaged, and she had a cast on one leg. When asked about the injury, Marie just
said she'd fallen down some stairs. A friend who was worried about Marie suggested her parents take her to a
psychiatrist. They did so, but Marie refused to attend her follow-up appointment. Instead, telling her
parents they were the ones who needed psychiatric help. In March 1984, Ricky Flores
pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault. The judge expressed a wish to hand down
a harshest sentence, but said that Ricky would be given 3 years at a state reformatory as per his plea
agreement. Marie Moore's trial commenced more than 6 months later in October 1984. The prosecution was depending on
witness testimony in their case against her, with their star witness being Ricky
Flores. Marie's other surviving victims would testify too, including Lewis Montavo,
Harriet Bane, and Mary Gardulo. Although they hadn't been present to witness the torture of
Theresa from June 1982 on, or her eventual death, their statements gave Ricky's testimony more credibility, as
their descriptions of earlier events were entirely consistent with his. DYFS case workers also testified as well
as Catherine Joyer, Theresa's grandmother. She sobbed while on the stand, asking why did she do
it? Prosecutors pointed to Marie Moore's changing stories evidenced by four different statements she had made to
police. They argued that Marie was the puppet master who orchestrated and ordered the abuse within her home.
She had cunningly convinced her victims that Billy Joel was actually in control and persuaded them that he was a
dangerous man who could harm their families. While she was a caring and nurturing presence in their
lives, one factor that had convinced them Billy really was in contact with Marie was the phone calls she seemingly
received from him. It turned out that Marie had previously worked for a phone company as an
operator and knew how to make the phone ring, seemingly of its own accord. Prosecutors said that Marie was
motivated by the thrill she gained from controlling and overpowering her victims. She was also able to exploit
them for monetary gain. like when she took money from Theresa's grandmother for books, clothes, and tutoring
sessions for Theresa for herself. Marie's attorneys argued for an insanity defense, providing evidence of
her epilepsy and a seizure disorder, which they said could have damaged her neurological functioning. Evidence was
also provided that Marie had suffered brain damage, possibly the result of a car accident.
A scan indicated that Marie had frontal lobe atrophy and the defense explained that a head injury could result in an
individual experiencing psychosis. A clinical psychologist retained by the defense said that he
believed Marie Moore had a multiple personality disorder which had created the personality of Billy. He had
witnessed Billy take over Marie's body during a session with her and argued that Marie Moore was legally insane
because she didn't know what was morally right when in that state. Multiple personality disorder is
now known as disassociative identity disorder and is a rare mental health condition. One American study estimates
it affects 1.5% of the population. The jury ultimately found Marie Moore guilty on almost all counts with the
exception of the attempted murder of Ricky Flores for offering money to the Santiago to kill
him. The jury was also tasked with determining whether Marie would be sentenced to life in prison or given the
death penalty. After deliberating for 7 hours, they found that Marie Moore should be
sentenced to death, making the 38-year-old the first woman in New Jersey to receive the death penalty in
48 years. Marie Moore showed no emotion as her sentence was handed down, but each
of her hands gripped onto those of her two attorneys. When the judge asked if Marie had
anything to say, she responded, "I did not murder my godchild. I did not do anything to
anyone in that household." When speaking to the media, the assistant prosecutor who argued the
case acknowledged that Ricky Flores's sentence had been extremely light compared to Marie Moors.
He explained that a deal with Ricky had been necessary in order to prosecute Marie, adding, "It's clear she was the
one who shaped these events." He argued that Ricky had only committed the violent acts he had at
Marie's direction. Moreover, he was also a minor who had been emotionally, sexually, and
physically abused by Marie Moore. In 1988, New Jerseyy's high court overturned Marie Moore's murder
conviction and death sentence, citing the fact that she had not directly caused Theresa Fury's
death. For the remaining counts she was still guilty of, she was given a sentence of 224
years. She would be eligible for parole after serving 87 years and 6 months. In an episode of the television program
Evil Lives Here, that aired in August 2023, Marie Moore's now middle-aged daughter, Tammy, shared her memories
about her mother and the crimes she committed. Tammy said she'd been kept ignorant about the majority of the
abuse, though she did witness Theresa Fury's decline towards the end, as well as her
death. After her mother's conviction, Tammy spent 2 years in a loving foster home before moving out on her
own. Tammy regrets not notifying the authorities about what was going on in her home and struggles to understand why
she didn't. From her perspective as a child, it had appeared as though Ricky Flores
was the aggressor and her mother was relatively blameless in the entire ordeal. After producers confronted Tammy
with court documents detailing exactly what her mother had done, she seemingly began to process the magnitude of
Marie's crimes for the first time. Tammy visited her mother in prison for 28 years after her
conviction. At some point around 2012, her mother told her she'd discovered a painful lump in one of her breasts.
Marie Moore subsequently died of breast cancer in prison. In the immediate aftermath of
Theresa Fury's death, the story captured the media's attention due to the horrific nature of the crime and the
bizarre fact that Marie Moore convinced her victims, famous musician Billy Joel,
was behind everything. Despite claiming since at least the mid 1970s that Billy Joel had fathered her
child, Marie Moore never had a relationship with him. It is unknown whether he has been made aware of the
case. The public and the media questioned why police and other authorities hadn't intervened earlier
when first provided with evidence about the abuse taking place at the Moore home.
Instead, action had stalled due to red tape and some confusion related to the bizarre nature of the
crimes. In an interview with North Jersey newspaper, The Sunday Record, Ricky Flores's attorney
stated, "The system definitely faltered and failed. No question about that." Police defended their response by
pointing out that Lewis Montalvo had been too scared to ever come forward, while Harriet Bane and Theresa Fury had
also denied much of the abuse out of fear. An op-ed published in the Sunday Record read, "The murder and most of the
suffering could have been prevented if New Jerseys child protection system worked the way it was supposed to.
Instead, months and years went by while paperwork about the abused and the abusers piled up in the files of law
enforcement and child welfare agencies. Patterson's mayor was quoted as saying that the case had led to the
city's police being put on notice. cases involving children were of the utmost importance. And when a child's
safety was at stake, police were to quote, "Rip up a neighborhood." "That's good news," the
op-ed concluded. Even if it comes too late for Theresa Fury. [Music] [Music]

*** Content warnings: child abuse, sexual assault, child victims, stalking *** In Paterson, New Jersey, during the early 1980s, Marie Moore was seen as the neighbourhood’s ‘cool mum’. The 35-year-old allowed her 12-year-old daughter Tammy to have friends over as often as she liked, and would even take the pre-teen and her friends out on fun excursions. But the tide turned one day when Marie made a shocking revelation, and suddenly the home that had been a safe haven for local kids became a house of horrors…

CREDITS Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production & music – Mike Migas Audio editing – Anthony Telfer

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RESOURCES

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Brief Summary

Marie Moore manipulated children into believing they were controlled by Billy Joel, leading to tragic abuse and murder.

Key points

The Secret of Tammy's Father. Marie tells Tammy that her father is pop star Billy Joel, a shocking revelation.
Billy's Control. Marie claims Billy Joel is involved in their lives, demanding obedience from the children.
The Dark Transformation. Marie is injected with a drug, allowing Billy to take control of her body.
Harriet's Escape. After months of abuse, Harriet finally escapes into the cold night, seeking help.
Mary's Distress. Mary Gardulo reveals the extent of her abuse to a detective after escaping.
Ricky's Disappearance. Ricky Flores flees upon seeing his mother and brother, leading to a police investigation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I'm not Marie, I'm Billy.

Marie Moore's demeanor changes dramatically, revealing a darker side.

21:02WatchMay 17, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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