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Charges may have been dropped against teen; but suspect still at large

Posted at 1:33 AM, Dec 19, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-19 07:08:29-05

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR)--Three months later, it's back to the drawing board to find out who shot a Hanover teen at a West End party.

On September 11 Marcus Lamont Moore was arrested for that shooting, but Tuesday we learned he'll serve just two days in jail, then walk away a free man.  "I don't know what the future holds,” his mother Germaine Raines said.   “I just give it to God."

Raines says she's maintained her faith and the pay-off will be a Christmas which she says has come a week early.  Her son Marcus will be home. 

In a previously recorded video he can be seen leaving the courthouse after posting bond, after being accused of aggravated malicious wounding at the West End party in September.

He is cleared, but for how long?

"’Nulle prosse’ is a prosecutor dropping the case for now,” said CBS 6 legal expert Todd Stone.  “It could come back with other evidence or it could go away completely."

Prosecutors say ballistic evidence did not match the guns they thought were involved in the September 1 shooting off Hilbingdon Road.

Marcus doesn't deny he was there, but claims he never did any shooting

“He was at the party and a fight broke out,” Raines said.  “When shots were fired, he got the heck out of there."

A teenage girl was shot in the head but survived the mayhem.  Moore was arrested and charged 10 days later.  For three months, the 19-year-old with no criminal history has been on house arrest. In court Tuesday he was given two days in jail for an unspecified probation violation. Then the malicious wounding charges were dropped.

“As time goes by, it will get out who really did it,” said his mother. “I'm glad Marcus can move on with life, because it's been on hold for three months.  And that's a long time." 

Raines says she hopes the real suspect comes forward soon, saying the parents of the teenage girl deserve to know the truth.