Fiance charged in cold case killing [The Buffalo News, N.Y.]

Sept. 27--The fiance of an Amherst woman found dead on a rural road in Orchard Park three years ago, has been charged with murdering her as part of a scheme to collect on her life insurance policy.

Ronald Epps, 44, is accused of shooting of Angela M. Moss in the back of the head on the night of Aug. 28, 2009, leaving her for dead, and just a few days later filing a claim with her insurance company.

Police said the indictment against Epps closes one of the region's high-profile cold cases and hopefully will give the Moss family some closure.

"Hopefully this can start the healing process," said Orchard park Police Chief Andrew Benz.

Moss, 39, was found dead on California Road, not far from the nursing home where she worked, at about 6 a.m. the next day. At the time, Orchard Park police said they had no potential suspects or a motive in the fatal shooting.

"Over the next three years, this case was unsolved," said U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. "It was not, however, unworked."

Hochul said a wide range of law enforcement agencies combined to make a case against Epps, who at this point is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud and possession of Molotov Cocktails.

The federal prosecutor said he has talked with the Erie County District Attorney's office about the case and the potential for murder charges against Epps.

"We need to recognize that the Moss family has suffered long and painfully over the past several years," Hochul said at an afternoon news conference.

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