Samuel A. Moore was three years old when he died on May 27, 2025. Born in Kalispell on May 18, 2022, he had been born prematurely with heart problems and underwent heart surgery at three months old. Family remembered him as a cheerful child who loved Paw Patrol and Bluey, walks with his mother Beth M. James, and road trips with his grandfather that often included McDonald’s apple slices.

On the morning of May 27 deputies and first responders were called to a residence on Granite Creek Road south of Libby after a report of a child who had been shot. Samuel was found with a gunshot wound to the face, taken to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, and later died despite life-saving efforts. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation.

Samuel’s father, 24-year-old Timothy Moore, was arrested and initially charged with felony negligent homicide; the charge was later amended to a felony count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, to which he pleaded not guilty. Anyone who knew Samuel or has information about what happened is asked to come forward.