MURDERED: Bobby Moore

Summary of MURDERED: Bobby Moore

by Audiochuck

36m•February 2, 2026
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Overview of MURDERED: Bobby Moore

This episode (Audiochuck / Crime Junkie) recounts the tangled, decades‑long story around the deaths of two people connected by marriage and investigation: Judge Louis A. Sisler (shot in Washington, D.C., 1974) and Barbara Sisler (killed in Fremont, Indiana, 1988), and the later ambush murder of former Metro PD homicide detective and Fremont town marshal Bobby Moore (July 26, 1988). The episode traces mistaken identity and a vigilante-style attack in D.C., how that investigation led Moore to marry the victim’s widow, domestic breakdown and a contentious suspicious death in Indiana, and finally an unresolved assassination that remains an open cold case.

Key timeline & events

  • July 13, 1974 — Louis A. Sisler (retired judge, working in D.C.) is shot at his father‑in‑law Samuel Haynes’ home. He dies after telling Detective Bobby Moore he was shot when a group tried to get into the house.
  • 1974 aftermath — Mary Harris (mother of the assaulted woman) and others are arrested and Mary convicted (conspiracy, felony murder, attempted burglary); the original alleged sexual assailant remains unidentified in records.
  • 1977 (approx.) — Bobby Moore marries Barbara Sisler (Louis’s widow).
  • 1984 — Bobby and Barbara move to Fremont, Indiana; Bobby is appointed town marshal (June 1984).
  • Feb 26, 1988 — Barbara is shot dead at home three days before her divorce from Bobby is to be finalized. Bobby reports self‑defense and calls 911. He is arrested but charges are dismissed ~6 weeks later for insufficient evidence.
  • July 26, 1988 — Bobby Moore is ambushed and fatally shot on his porch around 10:30 p.m.; two high‑power rifle casings found across the street. The murder remains unsolved.

Main people

  • Bobby Moore — former D.C. Metro homicide detective; later Fremont town marshal; married Barbara Sisler; charged then released after Barbara’s death; murdered five months later.
  • Barbara (Sisler) Moore — widow of Louis Sisler; moved from Indiana to D.C. and back; shot and killed Feb 26, 1988.
  • Louis A. Sisler — retired Indiana judge, NRA lobbyist; killed in 1974 mistaken-identity attack.
  • Mary Harris — mother of a woman who reported a sexual assault in 1974; convicted over the mob attack that killed Judge Sisler.
  • Samuel (Sam) Sisler — Barbara’s son; former Indiana State Police trooper dismissed in 1988; suspected by some because of motive/timing but never charged.
  • Capt. Kevin Smith — Indiana State Police investigator now handling Bobby’s cold case; personal connection to the case (knew the family and Sam from academy).

Evidence, contradictions & investigative details

  • Barbara’s death (Feb 26, 1988)
    • Bobby’s account: argued with Barbara in basement “apartment,” door came off the hinges, Barbara advanced with a cocked pistol in her right hand, he shot her in self‑defense.
    • Phone testimony: Barbara’s daughter (on the other end of a basement phone) heard arguing, then one loud noise, and Bobby telling her to hang up because he had to call 911 — she did not hear Bobby tell Barbara to drop a gun.
    • A tape Barbara made months earlier warned that Bobby might try to kill her if anything happened — provided to police.
    • Body and scene inconsistencies: blood back‑spatter inside bedroom but body found outside in hallway; gun found next to Barbara’s right hand (she had carpal tunnel surgery and was said by family not to be able to grip a heavy revolver, though doctors countered she likely could); no fingerprints on the weapon — prosecutors explained Barbara’s right‑hand condition (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) could prevent prints.
    • Sound test reenactment suggested limited audibility for the daughter on the call; prosecutors concluded the case wasn’t strong enough to prove murder beyond a reasonable doubt, and charges were dismissed.
  • Bobby’s murder (July 26, 1988)
    • Two rifle casings found in a vacant lot across the street; shooter likely fired from a distance and may have been lying in wait.
    • Timing: shot five months to the day (and around the same hour) after Barbara’s death — strongly suggestive of revenge motive.
    • Samuel Sisler was an early person of interest: allegedly bought a rifle days earlier and similar ammo (reported by local media at the time), was in Fremont shortly before the shooting, then left the area; dismissed from the Indiana State Police in May 1988 for failing probation (details unclear). No weapon or direct forensic link was found; Sam did not cooperate fully with investigators and was never charged.

Legal outcomes

  • 1974 D.C. case: Mary Harris and at least two other men convicted in connection with the mob attack that killed Judge Sisler.
  • 1988 Barbara death: Bobby Moore arrested for murder but charges dismissed after roughly six weeks due to insufficient/problematized evidence.
  • 1988 Bobby murder: unsolved; no arrests or convictions.

Open questions & unresolved issues

  • Who was the original assailant in the 1974 sexual assault (the trigger for the mob that killed Judge Sisler)? Records refer to an unknown attacker.
  • Did Bobby have an affair (allegation that led to Barbara confronting him the night she died)? Not documented in public records.
  • Was Barbara holding her gun when shot? How did she end up where she was found relative to back‑spatter and the bedroom scene?
  • Who fired the rifle that killed Bobby — and was the timing (five months to the day) intentional revenge by a family member (e.g., Sam Sisler) or retaliation by another party (town enemies, pipe‑bomb era tensions, etc.)?
  • What became of the alleged rifle(s) and any ballistic links? Public records show no recovered weapon matching initial tips.

Notable insights / quotes

  • Bobby to police after Barbara’s shooting: “It’s not what it looks like.” (His immediate claim of self‑defense.)
  • The prosecutor’s motion noted an unusual medical explanation for lack of fingerprints on the alleged weapon: Barbara’s right‑hand reflex sympathetic dystrophy could have prevented prints — a key factor used to counter an evidentiary argument.

Takeaways & significance

  • The case is emblematic of how domestic violence, small‑town politics, and law‑enforcement connections can complicate investigations and public perceptions.
  • Forensic ambiguities (location of wounds, gun placement, lack of prints, medical conditions, audio evidence limits) can be decisive in whether charges proceed — even where public sentiment strongly favors one interpretation.
  • The unresolved murder of a former detective is notable: it remains one of the unsolved police shootings in Indiana and deeply personal for investigators who knew the family.

How to help / contact information

If you have information about Bobby Moore’s 1988 murder or events in Fremont, Indiana in July 1988:

  • Indiana State Police Cold Case Investigations: 1‑800‑453‑4756
  • Anonymous tips: Crime Stoppers — crimetips.org

Sources cited by the episode: Crime Junkie (Audiochuck), local press reports from the period, court appeal/probable cause documents, and interviews with Captain Kevin Smith (Indiana State Police).