Trial Begins for Man Accused of Murdering Niece

VAN ZANDT — The uncle of a murdered Greenville teenager went on trial Monday in Van Zandt County. The death penalty is off the table. In this capital murder trial, prosecutors are seeking a life prison term for Michael Moore. He’s accused of the November, 2012 murder of his 16-year-old niece, Alicia Moore. She was last seen alive getting off a school bus a block from her home. Her body was found stuffed in a wicker trunk in rural Van Zandt County days later. Court documents show police suspected Michael Moore but had to wait for DNA testing results. Moore denied any involvement in his niece’s death during a jailhouse interview with KRLD news. The trial is expected to last two weeks.