Very little is known about Manuel Moore’s early life. Public records do not specify his exact date of birth, early education, or upbringing. At the time of his arrest in 1974, Moore was 23 years old and working at a facility known as the Black Self-Help Center in San Francisco. This location would later be revealed as a base of operations for a radical militant group known as the Death Angels.

Moore was described as a clean-cut, quietly spoken young man who, like others in the group, adopted the strict, militant appearance and ideology promoted within their circle. The group identified with a warped version of Black separatist doctrine and referred to themselves as “Death Angels”

Moore’s role within the group was as one of the primary operatives carrying out murders across San Francisco in 1973–1974. He was well-trained in hand-to-hand combat and reportedly took part in discussions and planning meetings.

Between October 1973 and April 1974, San Francisco was paralyzed by a wave of random and brutal killings, known as the Zebra Murders. The perpetrators were a group of young Black men, including Manuel Moore, who targeted mostly white victims in what prosecutors later described as a racially motivated campaign of terror.

The spree began on October 20, 1973, when Richard and Quita Hague were abducted by a group including Moore. Richard survived, but Quita was gruesomely murdered, nearly decapitated with a machete. This event marked the beginning of a pattern of escalating violence: victims were often attacked at random on the street, shot multiple times at close range, and in some cases mutilated or dismembered.

During the spree, Moore was linked to several killings including the January 28, 1974 attacks, when Tana Smith, Vincent Wollin, John Bambic, and Jane Holly were murdered in a single evening. Moore also participated in the assault on Roxanne McMillan, and was further charged with attacks on Terry White and Ward Anderson, two teenage boys shot in April 1974.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Zebra (named after the police radio frequency), culminated with the testimony of Anthony Harris, a former associate of the group who had been present during several of the crimes. Harris, who was granted immunity and protection under witness relocation, testified that Moore and others operated under a death cult-like ideology, gaining rank for each person they killed.

Moore, Simon, Green, and Cooks were arrested on May 1, 1974, following coordinated raids. Moore was found to have worked at the Black Self-Help Center, where police seized disturbing weapons including machetes, hatchets, sickles, spears, and plastic bags, implying planned and methodical killing.

During his trial, which began in March 1975, Moore remained emotionless. The prosecution presented evidence including Harris’ detailed testimony, ballistic evidence linking a .32 caliber handgun to several murders, and physical evidence such as Quita Hague’s wedding ring, found in one suspect’s possession.

On March 12, 1976, Moore was convicted of two counts of murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, the maximum sentence under California law at the time.

Moore served the remainder of his life behind bars, dying on November 15, 2017, at the California Health Care Facility, at age 75. He never expressed remorse nor gave public interviews.