DAYTON — A man on death row for killing five people in Dayton has died in prison.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Samuel Moreland was convicted of murdering five people, including three kids, on Nov. 1, 1985.
Glenna Green, 46; Lana Green, 23; Datrin Talbott, 7; Datwan Talbott, 6; and Voilana Green, 6, were found dead in the family home on South Ardmore Avenue.
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Retired Dayton Police Homicide Detective Doyle Burke told News Center 7 that despite Moreland’s conviction and death sentence, he worked the system with endless appeals and appears to have died of natural causes.
“It was like out of a horror movie,” Burke said.
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He was a brand-new homicide detective when he was called to investigate the scene.
“There were victims everywhere, all women and children; it was an immense scene, and it took a lot of work,” Burke said.
Burke said the victims were shot, beaten to death, or both.
There were survivors of the brutal massacre.
The things they knew and the evidence police gathered led officers to Moreland.
He was first taken into custody close to the home on Ardmore Avenue.
>>TIMELINE: Samuel Moreland case
“I thought, it’s over, this is it, this is the end,” Tia Talbott said.
Talbott declined to speak with News Center 7 on Friday, but she spoke with the I-Team in 2018.
The family was always frustrated by Moreland escaping the death penalty with non-stop court appeals.
“He will be executed, justice will be done, it will be served, so I thought it would,” she said.
“You know, he got drunk, he got frustrated, and he had a gun,” Burke said.
Burke said the only motivation for the crime they uncovered was that Moreland, who knew at least one family member, got mad because they wouldn’t give him more money to buy more alcohol.
“I don’t know if it’s a letdown, I mean, it’s never going to bring the victims back, but that he was allowed to manipulate the system for 40 years and die peacefully in prison,” Burke said.
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