Born on May 8, 1975 in Summerton, Mason Moore was the son of Mary Anne Grayson and Nebraska E. Moore II. Moore grew up in Clarendon County, attending Clarendon Hall in Summerton and graduating from Manning High School. He went on to complete his education from Western Carolina University with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice.
Moore eventually met and married the love of his life, Jodi Woods (Moore) in 1999. He was a quiet protector and the two were inseparable from their first meeting at a party in college. The couple eventually married and began a family consisting of twin boys and a daughter.
Moore was a dedicated family man as well as a dedicated law enforcer. His love and desire to protect his family and friends and make a difference in his community led him in his law enforcement career.
Moore served as an officer of the University of South Carolina Police Department, the Lexington County Sheriff's Office and the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office. Eventually, his career led him to Montana. While there, he served the Broadwater Sheriff's office. It was there that his career and life came to a devastating end.
While on duty the evening of May 16, 2017, Moore had no way of knowing that his path would cross with deadly father-son duo Marshall and Lloyd Barrus, who were both anti government, anti law enforcement, and on a self proclaimed suicide mission that night.
During what should have been a routine traffic stop near mile marker 109 on Highway 287, Moore turned on his lights and sirens and the vehicle he was attempting to pull over accelerated and a pursuit began. An occupant of the vehicle later identified as Marshall Barrus opened fire on Moore's patrol vehicle, wounding him and causing Moore to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle that Moore had been pursuing made a U-turn and fired over two dozen rounds into Moore's patrol vehicle. Moore is believed to have been hit at least 19 times with gun fire that evening.
The driver, Lloyd Barrus, was arrested after a high speed chase while Marshall Barrus was killed with return gunfire. Lloyd was found guilty of three counts of deliberate homicide by accountability and two counts of attempted deliberate homicide in September of 2021.
Moore's story was told Friday Feb. 3 on Dateline NBSC. Host Keith Morrison sat down with Moore's widow Jodi to discuss the life and death of Mason Moore.
Jodi discussed the foundation she founded after Moore's passing, called the Mason Moore Foundation. The Mason Moore Foundation was created to show our love and support of law enforcement agencies in Montana. The Foundation will promote and develop communication and understanding between the community and law enforcement. It will also educate the public, the state, and local leaders about ways in which they can support law enforcement. The foundation will also provide grants to local law enforcement agencies to provide for programs or special equipment that may not be available through the standard governmental funding process. For more information, visit masonmoorefoundation.com.
Jodi recalled Mason's love of fellow law enforcement officers in the Dateline episode and said that if he were still here, he would be taking care of them as best as he could. To honor his legacy, she is continuing to care for law enforcement and their families through the foundation.
Jodi also opened a book store, Book Therapy and Moore in Three Forks, Montana. This enables her to stay a vital part of the community that her husband so loved and protected.
The one thing that Jodi Moore would like for viewers of the Dateline story to take from her husband's story is that he was a wonderful husband, father, and protector of the law.
