The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office has formally taken the death penalty off the table for Antonio Roderick Moore, the man charged in the fatal Barnes & Noble stabbing that claimed the life of a 65-year-old woman. The late-March filing removes capital exposure from the case, leaving Moore to face first-degree murder charges. The attack happened on Dec. 22, 2025, inside the Legacy Avenue Barnes & Noble in Palm Beach Gardens. The victim, Rita B. Loncharich, later died at a local hospital.
According to WPEC/CBS12, a March 25 court filing officially notifies the clerk that “the State of Florida ... is not seeking the death penalty” in case 2025CF010228AMB. The document was e-filed by an assistant state attorney and appears on the Palm Beach County docket. The notice itself is available as a PDF of the court filing here: Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Palm Beach County.
Police records and prior reporting state that Moore, 40, was arrested after officers found Loncharich with a knife in her back inside the store at 11380 Legacy Ave. on Dec. 22. She was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she later died. Moore was then charged with first-degree murder and booked into the Palm Beach County jail, according to WPTV.
Investigators released a probable-cause affidavit stating that Moore told police he traveled into Palm Beach County from out of state and had no prior interaction with Loncharich, explaining that an “internal build-up” led to a sudden fight-or-flight reaction, as first reported by WPBF. Witnesses tried to help Loncharich until first responders took over, community members denounced the killing as senseless, and an online fundraiser for Loncharich’s family was later launched, per WFLX.
Legal context
Florida remains a capital-punishment state, but prosecutors must file a formal notice and identify aggravating circumstances before they can seek the death penalty. The statutory framework for capital sentencing is set out in Florida Statute §921.141, and the local State Attorney’s Office is tasked with weighing those factors in each case, per the Florida Senate and the Office of the State Attorney, 15th Judicial Circuit.
With the March filing, capital punishment is now officially off the table for Moore, and the case will move forward on murder charges through the pretrial process. Court records indicate the notice was e-filed March 25, and Moore remains held without bond as the investigation and prosecution continue, according to WPTV.
