Evil Lives Here is examining the murder of Nita Marie Moseley, who was stabbed and strangled to death by her teenage son Chance Moseley during an argument at their home in La Marque, Galveston County, Texas.
Chance was only 14 years old when he killed his 33-year-old mother. Nita was 17 weeks pregnant when she was murdered, so Chance was convicted of a double homicide.
On September 26, 2015, Chance claimed his mother took him to a drug house so she could get high. He also said that his mom had been trying to abort her baby by consuming a high quantity of alcohol and methamphetamine.
The teenage killer said Nita was “very high,” nervous, and agitated after her time in the drug house, and when they got home, the pair began arguing over household chores.
At some point, Chance snapped and stabbed his mom 57 times. He said Nita was unconscious but still breathing after the attack, so he decided to put her “out of her misery” by strangling her with an electrical cord.
After the murder, Chance took a shower to wash off the blood, but he left Nita’s body where she fell. He took her cellphone and removed the SIM card so he wouldn’t be tracked and went to smoke marijuana with his friends. A neighbor found Nita’s body a few days later.
Chance Moseley was tried as an adult for killing his mom, Nita Marie Moseley
A hearing in juvenile court ruled that Chance should be tried as an adult due to the severity of the crime.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe court also concluded that he was mentally competent enough to understand court proceedings and assist his attorney in his defense.
Chance admitted to killing his mother, but his legal team claimed mens rea; this is a legal term meaning a perpetrator doesn’t understand that what they are doing is wrong, generally due to mental illness or a lack of mental development.
Chance Moseley convicted of Nita Marie Moseley murder
The killer also disputed that he had meant to injure the unborn child. His lawyer pointed to the lack of stab marks on Nita’s abdomen and also queried if the baby was still alive at the time due to the victim’s drug use.
However, a jury convicted Chance of capital murder of multiple persons, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
Texas law prohibits the sentence of under-18s without parole, which means Chance will be eligible for parole after 40 years.
Evil Lives Here airs Sundays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.