The widow of a Villager who died after an attack at a country club has agreed to allow the use of her husband’s autopsy photos in the prosecution of his alleged killer.
Dean William Zook, 87, died in July while in hospice care at UF Health-Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Zook was allegedly attacked by 75-year-old Robert Edward Moore of the Village of Polo Ridge in the parking lot of Glenview Country Club.
Earlier this month, the prosecutor’s office filed a motion in Sumter County Court seeking the use in court of any photographs, video and/or audio recording from Zook’s autopsy. Zook’s widow and daughter have indicated they have “no objection as the materials are part of the prosecution.” Moore’s defense team will also have access to the autopsy materials.
Moore was apparently enraged on the evening of June 28 when he walked out of the country club and believed that Zook’s vehicle had struck his black Lexus in the parking lot. Moore allegedly began punching Zook, before realizing it wasn’t his Lexus.
A call was placed to 911 and deputies found Zook and his wife in the country club parking lot. The Villages Public Safety Department also responded to the scene after Zook began slurring his words and stumbled. He was transported by ambulance to UF Health-The Villages Hospital then flown to UF Health-Shands Hospital in Gainesville. At the time, he was “unresponsive.” He was placed on hospice care at Shands on July 15 and died the following day, “due to the trauma he sustained from being punched.” Moore stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds. Zook was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 160 pounds
Moore fled the country club parking lot prior to the arrival of law enforcement.
A detective tracked down the Massachusetts native thanks in part to the now-infamous photo of Moore showing off his hole-in-one at the Tarpon Boil Executive Golf Course, originally published in Villages-News.com. The detective also used surveillance images of Moore in the country club, where he bumped into a server carrying a tray of drinks, knocking a drink onto a patron, sitting at the bar.
Moore remains free on $30,000 bond. A new trial date has been set for June 10.
