Mar. 19 - Ross-Clayton Funeral Home was not responsible for the maggots found on a murder victim at the funeral home in 2001, according to a Montgomery County jury's verdict. The jury took roughly 15 minutes to decide against holding the funeral home liable, and returned a consensus on Wednesday evening.

"We appreciate the jury's decision and we're glad that it's over and behind us," said David Ross, owner of Ross-Clayton Funeral Home.

The family of Tarvis Moore filed suit against Ross-Clayton Funeral Home in 2003 for breach of contract, negligence and tort of outrage after finding two or three maggots on Moore's body after it was presented for the family's viewing.

The family also complained of a foul odor coming from the body and discolored skin. The funeral home contended that it was never made aware that Moore's body had been infested with insects while lying in a field overnight after the murder.

"We are certainly sympathetic with them because of their son's murder, but we didn't know about the insects," Ross said.

In addition to not knowing that the body had been exposed to insects, the funeral home pointed out that the body had gone more than a week before burial.

Moore was shot on June 20, 2001. His body was found the next day, and his family viewed the body for the first time on June 29, 2001.

Ross said that waiting seven or eight days before burying a dead body is common for black funerals.

"Since people are scattered all over the country, instead of two or three days, it can be seven or eight days," he said.

Gerard McCree was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing Moore. Both men were 21 at the time of the slaying. The murder arose from a love triangle. McCree had been dating Moore's girlfriend and on June 20, 2001, Moore arrived home to find his girlfriend and puppies gone, according to testimony at McCree's trial.

Moore tracked his girlfriend to McCree's home, where the two argued.

Moore then got into his car to go home, and McCree shot him through the glass. McCree dumped the body near Montgomery Regional Airport.

At the time of McCree's conviction, Mike Kidd, who prosecuted the case, said that the body had been "infested" with ants and maggots when it was found.

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