The family of an Oakland County woman murdered by her ex-husband in 1976 is pushing to block a decision to parole her ex, as is the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, saying he hasn’t shown remorse.
A parole board approved Leslie Moran’s request to be released last month, after previously denying requests at least four times. Moran’s parole was stayed until the Oakland County Circuit Court can make its ruling on if Moran should be allowed to be paroled.
Moran, now 85, is serving a life sentence after being convicted of luring his 22-year-old wife Deborah Humenny Moran to his home with a false story about needing a ride to the airport, then shooting her multiple times in the chest and head in September 1976, according to the prosecutor’s office.
He was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison. West Bloomfield Police told The Detroit News in 1976 that Moran went to a neighbor’s home and told them to call the police because “I’ve just killed my wife.”
The couple was in the process of getting a divorce, police said.
“While Deborah Humenny Moran cannot speak for herself at the parole board, her family continues to advocate for her memory,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement. “Her killer has never shown remorse or taken responsibility for his crime. We cannot allow him to escape accountability, even a half-century later.”
Humenny Moran was a well-known amateur tennis player at Beverly Hills Athletic Club and a former member of the Oakland Community College women’s tennis team.
Moran attempted to be paroled in 2010, 2017 and 2022, all of which were denied. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also denied a commutation request in November. On April 13, the parole board granted his request for parole.
Prosecutors contend there are compelling reasons for Moran not to be paroled, including his not showing true remorse, not accepting full responsibility and continuing to blame his ex-wife for his actions.
Sandra Humenny, the sister of Humenny Moran, said Michigan leaders have long recognized the danger Moran poses, as six governors have denied all of his commutation requests.
“For nearly fifty years, Inmate Moran has refused to accept responsibility, instead blaming Debby, the psychologist, the courts, and anyone else he can while changing his story again and again,” Humenny said in a statement. “This decision (to parole Moran) ignores the evidence, ignores prosecutors and the Attorney General’s Office, and ignores the lifelong devastation to my family — especially to my mother, who died believing the system would protect her daughter’s memory. Debby cannot speak for herself. My mother cannot speak for her. I will. The Parole Board needs to reverse this decision immediately for my safety, the safety of my family, and the members of the community.”
kberg@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Family fights parole for West Bloomfield man who killed wife in 1976
Reporting by Kara Berg, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
