After Five Years, Mora, Singh Killer Still at Large
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
Today Omar Mora turns 36.
Whether or not he recognizes it, at least he still has birthdays.
Harpal Singh and Lisa Heather Mora stopped having birthdays five years ago. Their families only celebrate their birthdays with memories.
That’s all because of what happened in about a 10-minute span of time May 23, 2007.
Today, police and prosecutors believe what they did then.
Shortly after 5 p.m., Omar Mora parked his 2003 Chevy Silverado full-sized pickup in the back of the Phillips 66 gas station, 2516 E. Center St., Warsaw. He walked in and asked to speak with the gas station’s manager, Harpal Singh.
Once the two men got to the back door, Mora reached into his truck, pulled out a .9mm and shot Singh seven times.
As Singh died from gunshot wounds to the head, neck and torso, Mora got into his truck and drove to his home at 1844 Vicky Lane in The Country subdivision off CR 175E near Warsaw.
He shot the lock to break into the couple’s home through a side door in the garage. He then shot through a locked door that led to the kitchen. He followed Lisa down a hall, shooting at her. He killed her with their children and Lisa’s mother in the house as she begged him to spare her life.
The Mora’s two sons were 7 and 2 at the time.
In a 911 call that was released, the 7-year-old was asked by a neighbor, who made the call, if Lisa Mora was OK. The child screamed, “No! He shot her! She’s dead!”
Omar is 5 feet, 7 inches and police believe he’s still about 170 pounds. He has dark hair and brown eyes. Some older photos of him have him with a beard or mustache.
The Victims
Often in tragedies like the one that took place May 23, 2007, the suspect and not the victims are the focus.
Not much is known about Singh. He had children, and soon after his murder his family sold the business and moved out of the area.
Lisa was born May 5, 1975, and would have recently turned 37 years old. After moving around, she and her family, her parents and two sisters, settled in the Warsaw area.
She went to Warsaw Community High School then Goshen College where she graduated with a degree in social work.
She loved animals and working with children and the elderly. She participated in a Bible study.
A devoted mother, she took care of her family and sent money to Omar when he had to spend a year in Mexico as he sought citizenship.
She worked at places like Healthy Families, Lakeland Rehabilitation and the Cardinal Center. She was an advocate at the Beaman Home, a local shelter for abused women.
In her work, she knew the statistics when it came to domestic violence.
She and Omar met at a party while she was in college. On Sept. 22, 1999, they married.
Who Is Omar Mora?
Outside of his physical description, little is publicly known of Omar Mora.
He was born in Mexico and raised in the town of Zitácuaro about 98 miles west of Mexico City in the state of Michoacán.
According to Lisa’s family, he came to the U.S. illegally, obtained a green card and was working toward becoming a U.S. citizen.
He has a brother who lives in Nappanee. It was first reported the night of the murders that Omar may have called his brother.
Lisa helped him study. His last step to becoming a citizen was a test in July 2007.
He worked in a factory in Warsaw, and since he was fluent in both English and Spanish, earned a supervisory role.
His only legal transgression prior to May 23, 2007, was a speeding ticket he received in 2004.
He was well-liked by co-workers and neighbors the Times-Union talked to at the time of the murders. One neighbor even said that Mora helped install speed bumps on Vicky Lane. The same road he sped out on after murdering his wife.
Building to a Final Confrontation
While police say that Omar Mora had no criminal record in the United States, he wasn’t totally unfamiliar to them.
On several occasions, gas station employees told police Mora would come in and harass Singh.
On April 30, a Warsaw police officer had spoken with Singh and Singh had told the officer that Mora had come in and said he was going to “kick his ass.”
Singh told police that Mora thought his wife and Singh were having an affair.
One of Singh’s employees was convinced of the affair. She confronted Singh but he told her not to worry about it.
The Moras were having marital troubles. According to a family member, a fight between the two in April led to Omar leaving the house.
The next day he called in sick to work. Police also learned that day he took his first lesson at a firing range in South Bend.
Prior to when police believe Mora shot Singh, Omar and Lisa were witnessed to be arguing in the driveway of the couples’ home. About 20 minutes later, Mora returned for the final time.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
He can be reached at 574-267-3111, Ext. 246.[[In-content Ad]]
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Today Omar Mora turns 36.
Whether or not he recognizes it, at least he still has birthdays.
Harpal Singh and Lisa Heather Mora stopped having birthdays five years ago. Their families only celebrate their birthdays with memories.
That’s all because of what happened in about a 10-minute span of time May 23, 2007.
Today, police and prosecutors believe what they did then.
Shortly after 5 p.m., Omar Mora parked his 2003 Chevy Silverado full-sized pickup in the back of the Phillips 66 gas station, 2516 E. Center St., Warsaw. He walked in and asked to speak with the gas station’s manager, Harpal Singh.
Once the two men got to the back door, Mora reached into his truck, pulled out a .9mm and shot Singh seven times.
As Singh died from gunshot wounds to the head, neck and torso, Mora got into his truck and drove to his home at 1844 Vicky Lane in The Country subdivision off CR 175E near Warsaw.
He shot the lock to break into the couple’s home through a side door in the garage. He then shot through a locked door that led to the kitchen. He followed Lisa down a hall, shooting at her. He killed her with their children and Lisa’s mother in the house as she begged him to spare her life.
The Mora’s two sons were 7 and 2 at the time.
In a 911 call that was released, the 7-year-old was asked by a neighbor, who made the call, if Lisa Mora was OK. The child screamed, “No! He shot her! She’s dead!”
Omar is 5 feet, 7 inches and police believe he’s still about 170 pounds. He has dark hair and brown eyes. Some older photos of him have him with a beard or mustache.
The Victims
Often in tragedies like the one that took place May 23, 2007, the suspect and not the victims are the focus.
Not much is known about Singh. He had children, and soon after his murder his family sold the business and moved out of the area.
Lisa was born May 5, 1975, and would have recently turned 37 years old. After moving around, she and her family, her parents and two sisters, settled in the Warsaw area.
She went to Warsaw Community High School then Goshen College where she graduated with a degree in social work.
She loved animals and working with children and the elderly. She participated in a Bible study.
A devoted mother, she took care of her family and sent money to Omar when he had to spend a year in Mexico as he sought citizenship.
She worked at places like Healthy Families, Lakeland Rehabilitation and the Cardinal Center. She was an advocate at the Beaman Home, a local shelter for abused women.
In her work, she knew the statistics when it came to domestic violence.
She and Omar met at a party while she was in college. On Sept. 22, 1999, they married.
Who Is Omar Mora?
Outside of his physical description, little is publicly known of Omar Mora.
He was born in Mexico and raised in the town of Zitácuaro about 98 miles west of Mexico City in the state of Michoacán.
According to Lisa’s family, he came to the U.S. illegally, obtained a green card and was working toward becoming a U.S. citizen.
He has a brother who lives in Nappanee. It was first reported the night of the murders that Omar may have called his brother.
Lisa helped him study. His last step to becoming a citizen was a test in July 2007.
He worked in a factory in Warsaw, and since he was fluent in both English and Spanish, earned a supervisory role.
His only legal transgression prior to May 23, 2007, was a speeding ticket he received in 2004.
He was well-liked by co-workers and neighbors the Times-Union talked to at the time of the murders. One neighbor even said that Mora helped install speed bumps on Vicky Lane. The same road he sped out on after murdering his wife.
Building to a Final Confrontation
While police say that Omar Mora had no criminal record in the United States, he wasn’t totally unfamiliar to them.
On several occasions, gas station employees told police Mora would come in and harass Singh.
On April 30, a Warsaw police officer had spoken with Singh and Singh had told the officer that Mora had come in and said he was going to “kick his ass.”
Singh told police that Mora thought his wife and Singh were having an affair.
One of Singh’s employees was convinced of the affair. She confronted Singh but he told her not to worry about it.
The Moras were having marital troubles. According to a family member, a fight between the two in April led to Omar leaving the house.
The next day he called in sick to work. Police also learned that day he took his first lesson at a firing range in South Bend.
Prior to when police believe Mora shot Singh, Omar and Lisa were witnessed to be arguing in the driveway of the couples’ home. About 20 minutes later, Mora returned for the final time.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
He can be reached at 574-267-3111, Ext. 246.[[In-content Ad]]
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