Cumming man sentenced to life for 2015 murder of Samuel Waters

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Cumming man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2015 murder of Samuel Waters, whose remains were never found. Jeffry Emerson Moulder, 30, was convicted by a Gwinnett County jury on charges of malice murder and two counts of felony murder for the strangulation death of 21-year-old Samuel Waters.

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A Decade-Long Investigation

The backstory:

Waters was last seen on January 4, 2015, and was considered a missing person until 2021. The investigation revealed that Moulder killed Waters as part of a scheme to avoid paying child support. Moulder’s first wife had a child with Waters before marrying Moulder. When Bell later considered divorcing Moulder, he attempted to reintroduce Waters into her life to avoid financial responsibility. His first wife, however, told Moulder that the only way to save their marriage was to remove Waters from her life.

Moulder then lured Waters to a remote road in Lawrenceville, where he strangled him to death. Afterward, he dismembered Waters' body, unsuccessfully tried to burn the remains, and ultimately disposed of them in multiple locations near Lake Lanier.

Confession and Key Evidence

Timeline:

Following the murder, Moulder openly discussed his crime with at least seven people, including both his first and second wives, seeking advice on how to dispose of Waters’ body. He also disclosed specific locations where he buried the remains.

In 2021, after a violent altercation in which Moulder strangled his second wife until she was unconscious, the woman separated from him and reported his confession to Lawrenceville Police. Investigators searched the areas Moulder described, using cadaver dogs, which detected evidence suggesting human remains had once been present, despite no body being recovered.

During the trial, an audio recording of Moulder strangling his second wife was played for the jury. In the recording, Moulder can be heard demanding that she stop recording their argument before strangling her into unconsciousness. When she regained consciousness, Moulder reportedly told her, "I killed Samuel Waters, do you want to record that, too?"

Swift Conviction and Sentencing

What we know:

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before delivering a guilty verdict on all charges. Moulder was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The case was prosecuted by Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorneys Don Geary and Angela Mattozzi, with assistance from DA investigators Damien Cruz and Andrew Whaley, and victim witness advocate Korinne Haskins. The Lawrenceville Police Department played a key role in bringing the case to a close.