Dateline: Unforgettable is re-examining the murder of Sheriff Deputy Mason Moore by Marshall Barrus and Lloyd Barrus on a deserted highway in Broadwater County, Montana.
In the early hours of May 16, 2017, 42-year-old Mason Moore was on his way home after patrolling the streets of Townsend, MT. He had just pulled onto the highway when a white Suburban van suddenly passed him at 100 mph.
The car was driven by Lloyd Barrus, and his adult son, Marshall Barrus, was in the passenger seat armed with a firearm. The two men were anti-government extremists with a particular law enforcement problem. The father and son duo had often discussed attacking cops in a suicide-style mission.
Sheriff Deputy Moore began pursuing the white Suburban, but the pursuit came to an end when he was hit in the face by a shot fired by Marshall. Moore stopped his cruiser, and the in-car camera recorded him struggling to breathe.
Lloyd Barrus turned their car around, and Marshall exited the car and fired more shots at the deputy, killing him. The Barrus pair fled the scene.
Moore left behind his widow, Jodi, and three young children.
Lloyd and Marshall Barrus led police officers in a high-speed chase after killing Mason Moore
Lloyd and Marshall then led the cops on a 160-mile chase along Interstate 90, which finally ended in a shootout about 30 miles west of Missoula, MT. The 38-year-old Marshall was killed in a gun battle with officers.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe prosecutors charged Lloyd with murder and initially hoped to instigate the death penalty. However, Lloyd was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial, and he was placed in the Montana State Hospital.
The killer refused medication for his delusional disorders, which further delayed the process.
Eventually, in 2022, Lloyd was put on trial and convicted on three counts of deliberate homicide by accountability and two counts of attempted deliberate homicide.
Lloyd Barrus given life sentence for role in Mason Moore murder
District Judge Kathy Seeley sentenced the 66-year-old to serve three life terms concurrently. He is currently incarcerated at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, MT.
At the sentencing, Seeley told the court, “I don’t know that there was a plan per se, but these two men with their extremist anti-government beliefs were both out of control. I do not believe if he is out in the streets that the public will be safe.”
Dateline: Unforgettable airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.