CLEVELAND — A northeast Ohio attorney accused of murdering his divorce client in a downtown Cleveland stabbing faces a pretrial hearing June 4, as prosecutors move forward with charges in the 12-year-old cold case.
Gregory Moore, 51, a longtime Sagamore Hills resident, pleaded not guilty May 28 to charges including aggravated murder, conspiracy, six counts of murder and two counts of kidnapping in the death of Aliza Sherman. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Deborah Turner set bond at $2 million.
Sherman, a 53-year-old Cleveland Clinic fertility nurse and mother of four from Beachwood, was stabbed 11 times on March 24, 2013, while waiting outside Moore’s downtown office at 55 Erieview Plaza. She had arrived for what she believed was a meeting with Moore to discuss her divorce case, which was scheduled to go to trial the following day.
According to the indictment, Moore never intended to meet with Sherman. Prosecutors allege he orchestrated an elaborate scheme to kidnap or kill his client to prevent her divorce trial from proceeding, as he was unprepared for court.
The case remained unsolved for over a decade until the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation took over in June 2021, applying advanced forensic technology to develop new evidence. Moore was arrested May 2 by U.S. Marshals at his dying father’s bedside near Austin, Texas.
Pattern of Delays and Deception
Moore has a documented history of using extreme measures to avoid court appearances. In 2012, he called in bomb threats to three Ohio courthouses on days he was scheduled to appear in trial. He was later convicted and served six months in jail for those threats and for lying to investigators about his whereabouts during Sherman’s murder.
Moore obtained his law license in 2003 after graduating from Cleveland State University. He practiced at Stafford Law Company in Cleveland from at least 2011 to 2014. His license was suspended in 2017 and he resigned it the following year after his criminal convictions.
Sherman became Moore’s client after her original attorney, Joe Stafford, was disciplined by the Ohio Supreme Court. Friends said Sherman felt “stuck” with Moore and was concerned about his preparation for her case.
The Day of the Murder
On March 24, 2013, Moore texted Sherman to meet him at his office at 4:30 p.m. Prosecutors say he then turned off his phone to avoid creating cell tower location evidence and used a company hotspot to text Sherman that he was “here” waiting for her.
Security footage captured a hooded figure attacking Sherman outside the building and fleeing on foot. After the attack, Moore allegedly made numerous calls to Sherman’s phone to create false evidence that he was unaware of the assault.
Local Impact
Ohio investigators executed a search warrant at Moore’s McPherson Circle home in Sagamore Hills the day of his arrest. Moore has lived in the Summit County community since 2006 with his wife of 20 years and their 9-year-old son.
Neighbors expressed shock at the arrest, with many describing Moore as a good neighbor who had worked in construction in recent years after losing his law license.
Moore’s defense team has filed motions challenging the charges as “vague and unclear” and requesting more detailed information from prosecutors. His attorney said Moore “steadfastly maintains his innocence” and intends to fight the charges.
Sherman’s daughter Jennifer told the court at Moore’s arraignment that he “allegedly betrayed” the trust of a client he was “duty-bound to protect and advocate for.”
The Sherman family established the Aliza Sherman Fund at Cleveland Clinic, which has raised more than $150,000 to support patients and caregivers who are victims of violence.
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