The case of

Georgia Leah "Lee" Moses

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Victim

Georgia Leah "Lee" Moses

Victim Race

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Victim Date of Birth

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Victim Age
Date Reported

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Date of Death

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Case Status

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Incident Location

Sonoma County, California

Body Location

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Date of Conviction

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Body Discovered Date

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Murderer

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Georgia Leah Moses

Georgia Leah Moses was born on the 7th of January, 1985. She had two brothers and a little sister named Angel. Georiga and her sister Angel moved to Santa Rosa, California, with their mother, while her two brothers stayed behind in New York. Angel and Georgia, and their mother eventually settle in Sonoma County. Sonoma County is filled with vineyards and farmers and has a small-town feel.

Unfortunately, Georgia and Angel’s mother was diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia. Angel says she was unable to show up for them even though she wanted to. This left Georgia and Angel in and out of child protective service care. Eventually, they moved in with their mother’s new boyfriend, Ian.

The Disappearance of Georgia Moses

On Wednesday, August 13th, 1997, Georgia spent most of the day at her friend’s house. Angel saw her sister that night. She remembers it being dark and walking towards their house together when a car pulled up. Georgia told Angel to run ahead and handed the man in the car her pager. The man eventually handed it back. Georgia then walked Angel home, did her hair, tucked her into bed, and left. Unfortunately, Georiga never returned.

At around 10 pm, she is back with her friend when she receives a page. Georgia used her friend’s phone to return the call. With it, she made plans to meet with an unidentified man at a gas station. Georgia’s friend walked with her to the gas station near her home, where Georgia left with an unknown man. She was last seen getting into his car at the Santa Rosa gas station. Later that night, she used a phone to call her friend and say she wouldn’t be back that night. This was the last time anyone ever heard from Georgia.

Georiga’s mother assumed she was fine, so Georgia wasn’t reported missing. On the 22nd of August, 1997, officers visited Georiga’s residence for a health and welfare check. It was then that 7-year-old Angel Turner reported her sister missing. Angel was removed from her mother’s custody.

Finding Georgia Moses

Nine days after Georiga went missing, on August 22, 1997, at around 2 pm a body was discovered off of Highway 101. The body was found badly decomposed by a CalTrans worker while fixing a guardrail. An autopsy indicated that they had been dead for at least a week. The body was identified on August 26 as 12-year-old Georgia Moses through dental records. She was discovered nude, and there was no clothing present at the scene. Although her remains were badly decomposed they were able to determine that it was a homicide, her cause of death was strangulation and she had been sexually assaulted.

Investigation Details

According to detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s office, the man Georgia met with that night was someone she knew. Someone who she would page and meet with occasionally. He was described as a 24-30-year-old African American male driving a small white 4-door car. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office eventually released a sketch of the man.

Investigators searched a nearby farmstead for evidence, but no evidence was ever found. The case went cold.

In November 2020, Angel met Maria Martin. Maria was a year younger than Georiga and had attended the same school. Maria’s father worked with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and was on the team who recovered Georgia’s body. Maria decided to reach out to Angel by email and is now considered the family advocate helping Angel carry out her investigation into Georgia’s murder.

In Memory of Georgia Leah Moses

In 1998 a memorial garden was set up in memory of Georgia. Locals brought flowers and eventually, the memorial became a full garden with an angel statue. The garden initially stood off  Highway 101, where Georgia’s body was recovered until it was moved in 2012 to accommodate new road construction. The angel statue now stands at Santa Rosa city hall.

On the 7th of January, 2021 around 30 people gathered for a memorial walk on what would have been Georgia’s 36th birthday. The group wore yellow for Georgia and marched around downtown Petaluma, California chanting “Justice has no expiration date”.

Georgia’s case is now considered a cold case. Anyone with information about Georiga’s case is asked to call the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office at 707-565-2185 or 707-565-2650.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Georgia Lee Moses?

Georgia Lee Moses is a 12-year-old California girl who vanished one summer night in 1997. Her body was discovered nine days later, the killer has never been caught.

What happened to Georgia Lee Moses?

Georgia’s body was found off of Highway 101 nine days after she vanished. Her body was found badly decomposed by a CalTrans worker while fixing a guardrail. An autopsy indicated that she had been dead for at least a week. She was discovered nude, and there was no clothing present at the scene.

Where was Georgia Moses found?

Her body was discovered nine days later under a tree near a Highway 101 offramp in Petaluma.

Who murdered Georgia Leah Moses?

Georgia Leah Moses’ killer remains undiscovered.

Who is Maria Martin?

Maria was a year younger than Georiga and had attended the same school. Maria’s father worked with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and was on the team who recovered Georgia’s body. Maria decided to reach out to Angel by email and is now considered the family advocate helping Angel carry out her investigation into Georgia’s murder.

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