Bio

Leon Jerome Moser was born on September 15, 1942, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He later spent time in religious training and was described in reports as a former seminary student. He also served in the United States Army and became a former Army lieutenant.

Moser married Linda Schramm on April 26, 1969. The couple had two daughters, Donna and Joanne. Their marriage later broke down, and they separated in December 1983. The divorce was finalized on September 13, 1984. Court records state that Moser became depressed, resentful, and angry after the divorce. He blamed Linda and her parents for the end of the marriage.

Before the killings, Moser bought a .30-06 Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle on January 28, 1985. He said he was buying it for deer hunting, although court records noted that deer season had already passed and that he was not known to hunt deer.

Moser had received psychiatric treatment before his execution. His mental condition later became part of last-minute court filings, as lawyers and supporters tried to delay the execution for a competency hearing.

Murder Story

On March 31, 1985, Palm Sunday, Linda Moser and her daughters, Donna and Joanne, attended services at St. James Episcopal Church in Lower Providence Township, Pennsylvania. Leon Moser had arranged to meet them after church so he could spend the afternoon with the girls. Before the meeting, he placed his rifle in the back of his Toyota hatchback and parked the car so the rear was partly hidden from view.

After the church service ended, Donna and Joanne changed into casual clothing and met Moser near his car. Linda was also present. After a short exchange, Linda began walking back toward the church. Joanne entered the back seat of Moser’s car, while Donna stood near the front of the vehicle. Moser then went to the rear of the car, removed the rifle, and shot Joanne in the head. Linda turned and screamed, and Moser shot her in the chest. He then aimed at Donna and shot her in the head. Linda and Joanne died at the scene, while Donna died later at the hospital.

After the shootings, Moser fired the rifle into the air and dropped to the ground as if he had been shot. He remained there until police arrived. Investigators later found a written note in his car blaming Linda, her parents, and others for the breakdown of his family.

Moser pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one weapons offense. He also waived his right to a jury sentencing proceeding and requested that a three-judge panel decide his sentence. The court found aggravating factors, including the multiple murders and the danger created to other people near the church. It also found mitigating factors, including no major prior criminal history and emotional disturbance, but ruled that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating ones. He was sentenced to death on January 24, 1986.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence in 1988. Moser continued to say that he wanted to die and did not personally seek to stop the execution. In the final days before his death, outside lawyers, a minister, and his brother tried to obtain a competency hearing, arguing that his mental state should be reviewed before he was allowed to waive further appeals.

The legal dispute continued until the final hours before the execution. A federal court attempted to review whether Moser was competent, but the stay was lifted, and the execution went forward. Moser was executed by lethal injection at Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution at Rockview on August 16, 1995. He was 52 years old.