Sunshine James is a teen killer from Florida who would murder Christopher Moore and attempt to murder her mother
According to court documents Sunshine James, who was fifteen years old at the time of the murder, would shoot her mother and her fiance, Christopher Moore. Sunshine mom was grazed by a bullet however Christopher would suffer fatal injuries
According to her mother Sunshine James had asked for the keys to a vehicle to get the paper. When she returned she would open fire while the mom and fiance were lying in bed. However Sunshine would tell police that her mother would choke her which led to the violent assault. Forensic evidence shows the mother’s story to be most likely
In the end Sunshine James would be arrested and plead guilty to murder and attempted murder. Sunshine can face up to life in prison however due to her age at the time of the murder is eligible for sentencing review after twenty five years
Sunshine James Case
Just days before she was scheduled to begin trial proceedings, a Pensacola 17-year-old charged with murdering her mother’s fiancé when she was just 15 years old pleaded no contest to second-degree murder on Sept. 16.
Sunshine James, who was 15 years old in August 2023 when the shooting occurred, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder with a firearm for shooting Christopher Moore in their Essex Pointe apartment. She was also charged with the attempted second-degree murder of her mother, Alexis Pineda, but the Office of the State Attorney said they would drop the charge during James’ sentencing hearing.
James is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 21, 2026, where she faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison
Circuit Judge Amy Brodersen said during the hearing that James would be eligible for review after a “certain number of years” depending on the sentence Brodersen levies.
According to Florida law, anyone convicted of certain offenses committed before the age of 18 is eligible to have a sentence review. If sentenced to life in prison, James would be eligible for a sentence review after 25 years.
Since James is under 18, Brodersen is legally allowed to take certain factors into account, including the defendant’s age, home environment and other factors.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting are up for debate, depending on who you believe.
According to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons and police reports, Pineda and Moore were lying in bed on the morning of Aug. 30, 2023, as James was getting ready for school inside their Essex Pointe apartment.
Pineda and Moore were lying in bed when James asked for the keys to the car to retrieve a paper. When James returned, she allegedly began looking through the closet and said, “Mama, I love y’all,” to which Pineda and Moore both replied, “I love you, too,” according to the report.
“Pineda stated that right after they responded to James, they felt what Pineda describes as ‘pressure’ over her head and heard gunshots in their bedroom,” the report said.
At least one bullet grazed Pineda, and Moore later died in the hospital from his injuries.
James, however, told investigators that her mother “tried to choke her out.”
“James stated Moore was standing behind Pineda during this incident and said, ‘that b***h deserves to die,'” the report said. James stated she reached for the gun on the table in the bedroom and began shooting in the direction of Pineda and Moore before fleeing the scene in Pineda’s Toyota Corolla.
Police reports say blood found at the scene suggests Moore and Pineda were shot while in bed, which contradicts James’ version of events.
