‘Did Not Show Any True Remorse’: Houston Man Who Tracked Girlfriend’s Cellphone and Gunned Down New Jersey Man Who Had Brought Her Back to His Airbnb Sentenced

A Texas man was handed down a 22-year prison sentence stemming from the shooting of a New Jersey resident more than two years ago in what officials are describing as a “premeditated attack” and “jealous ambush,” local reports say. 

James Ray Lane was sentenced on Monday for the death of Gregory Moore in June 2021, KHOU reported. The 24-year-old has to complete half his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. 

Moore was on vacation with his friends when he met a woman and decided to bring her back to his Airbnb in Klein, Texas, according to the report. The tryst came after he and his friends had been exchanging numbers with people they had met throughout the entire weekend.

Man Sentenced For Killing NJ Resident Flirting With His Girlfriend.
James Ray Lane (left) was sentenced to more than 20 years behind bars for the killing of New Jersey man Gregory Moore (right) in 2021. (Photos: KHOU11/YouTube screenshot)

However, the woman Moore connected with was Lane’s girlfriend, and Lane was tracking her phone, Fox 26 reported. Traveling from southwest Houston, Lane — armed with a handgun and flashlight — reportedly arrived at the home after 3 a.m. and pistol-whipped Moore and the woman. 

Lane then fired nine times, striking Moore and killing him. He left the property, 37 miles away from his home, with his girlfriend. 

“This was a planned and premeditated attack on an unsuspecting visitor to Houston, and there have to be consequences,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, in a statement.

Moore was a father of three. Authorities said they were able to identify and arrest Lane using witness statements and phone data, as KHOU reported. He pleaded guilty in August. 

In their impact statements, officials say Moore’s family opened up about Lane’s actions following his sentencing. 

“They talked about how he drove all the way to Spring from southwest Houston and could have changed his mind anywhere along the way,” Assistant District Attorney Rodulfo Martinez said, per the outlets. “He did not show any true remorse or accountability, even after pleading guilty.”

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