Woman fatally shot her neighbor and ‘drank her blood’

A Texas woman has pleaded guilty in the killing of her neighbor, whom she fatally shot during a violent home invasion she later claimed she could not remember.

Cynthia Ming, 54, was initially charged with capital murder in the death of 45-year-old Angie Melissa Moore, who was killed in her Lacy Lakeview, Texas, home on Sept. 7, 2022. According to authorities, Moore called 911 to report that her neighbor, Ming, was attempting to break into her home through a window.

When police arrived, Moore had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said Ming fled the home naked and covered in blood before being taken into custody.

Court documents obtained by NBC affiliate KCEN state that Ming told officers at the hospital that she had taken Moore’s gun and shot her, claiming it was because Moore had killed her dog. A report from CBS affiliate KWTX said Ming also told authorities that she drank Moore’s blood.

The documents also note that Ming told a doctor she believed she had been electrocuted by a live wire at her own home before going to Moore’s residence. She said that after the incident, she wandered around in a disoriented state and could not recall the shooting itself, only learning of her actions later from police.

A psychological evaluation diagnosed Ming with borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. Despite those diagnoses, doctors concluded she was legally sane at the time of the killing.

Ming initially entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity but changed her plea to guilty a week later. She accepted a sentence of 50 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Prosecutors told the court they believe parole is unlikely given the severity of the crime.

In a statement, prosecutors said the plea agreement avoided the risks associated with a lengthy trial and appeals process, particularly in a case involving an insanity defense, while still ensuring Ming would likely spend the rest of her life in prison.

Moore’s family was present in court for the sentencing. Her parents read lyrics from a song written by her 16-year-old son, Connor, expressing grief and anger over her death. Moore’s mother also told the court that her daughter had suffered years of harassment from Ming and described her as a dangerous presence in the neighborhood.

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