Authorities announce arrest in cold case murder of Cleveland nurse

A child waves to police officers as they stand guard outside the Cuyahoga County Justice Center, Saturday, May 23, 2015, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

CLEVELAND — Ohio authorities said they’ve solved the more than decade-old fatal stabbing of a Cleveland Clinic nurse, announcing recent murder charges against her former divorce attorney who already served jail time for lying to police during the investigation.

Friday’s arrest of 51-year-old Gregory J. Moore marks the latest twist in a cold case that has eluded Ohio authorities since 2013. Aliza Sherman was stabbed more than 10 times, her body found on a downtown Cleveland sidewalk near where she was set to meet Moore to discuss her divorce.

Moore was indicted on charges for murder, aggravated murder, kidnapping and conspiracy, according to documents unsealed Friday. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Texas, where he remained in custody Sunday, according to online records.

“The Sherman family has waited over a decade for answers regarding their mother’s homicide,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley in a statement Friday. “Through the tenacious work of multiple law enforcement agencies, evidence was accumulated that paints the unmistakable picture that Gregory Moore orchestrated and participated in the brutal murder of Aliza Sherman.”

Moore was not a stranger to authorities.

In 2017, he pleaded guilty to falsification for statements he made to police about his whereabouts during Sherman’s killing. He also admitted to calling in bomb threats in 2012 as a way to delay trials. He lost his law license in 2017 and served six months in prison.

At the time, he said that he regretted his past actions.

According to Friday’s indictment, Moore allegedly planned to kidnap Sherman as a delay tactic for her upcoming divorce trial. The unsealed documents include messages between Moore and Sherman showing how he called her to the office, which was locked. She arrived and waited over an hour before deciding to return to her car, according to the indictment.

“During this timeframe, an individual who was either Moore or an unknown co-conspirator approached Sherman … circled behind her, chased her … and then stabbed her over 10 times,” the indictment reads.

Moore swiped into the office later that evening and messaged Sherman to mislead investigators, according to the indictment.

Moore did not respond to an email message Sunday. Court records did not list an attorney. A defense attorney who previously represented Moore did not respond to a phone message Sunday.

Moore was expected to be arraigned at a later date, according to prosecutors who said teamwork with the FBI led to the arrest. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation took over the cold case in 2021.

Sherman, 53, was a mother of four and has been remembered as a beloved fertility nurse. Rallies and vigils to honor her memory have been held on the anniversary of her death.

An attorney for the family and Sherman’s brother, Harry Czinn, didn’t immediately return messages Sunday.

“I’m in shock because after 12 years, you don’t expect it,” Czinn, told Cleveland Jewish News . “The best word to sum up my feelings at this point would be bittersweet — glad they got the person, but the memories are painful.”

Associated Press, The Associated Press