Man Accused Of Killing Malden Teen In 1991 Held Without Bail

MALDEN, MA — The suspect in a decades-old murder case in Malden was ordered held without bail Thursday.

Rodney Daniels, 48, pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, WHDH reported.

Daniels, a resident of South Fulton, GA, was arrested this week after a Middlesex County grand jury handed down a murder indictment in connection with the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Patricia Moreno in 1991.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Daniels fatally shot Moreno, whose foster sister Daniels had been dating. Moreno was found with a gunshot wound to the head on the fire escape of a Henry Street apartment around 3 a.m. on July 20, 1991.

Ryan said Daniels, who occasionally stayed at the apartment, was interviewed shortly after Moreno's murder. He initially told investigators he had been sleeping in an armchair in the living room when he was awakened by two gunshots.

Investigators learned that Daniels had engaged in "threatening behavior" toward Moreno in the weeks leading up to the shooting and was known to have "multiple" handguns, Ryan said.

Police also found a new witness who lived in the apartment below Moreno's foster family at the time of the murder. That witness said he was awakened by a loud noise and looked up at the fire escape, where he saw someone matching Daniels's description immediately disappear back into the apartment, Ryan said.

Members of Moreno's family attended the arraignment Thursday, WHDH reported.

"After three decades, we have taken the first steps today to hold accountable the person who we allege took Tricia’s life. It is always with mixed emotions that we make these announcements as we know this will not fill the void caused by the loss of a daughter, a sister and a friend to many," District Attorney Ryan said in a statement.