Former girlfriends of murder suspect speak out
BISMARCK, N.D. - Former girlfriends of a man charged with murder in the killing of a Valley City State University student say Moe Maurice Gibbs had a gentle side, but he was also mysterious.
“ None of us really know the whole story,” said Faye Nirou, 33, of Bellingham, Wash. “He never would talk about anything.”
Gibbs, 34, who was known as Glen Dale Morgan Jr. before he legally changed his name in North Dakota in August 2005, is charged in the Sept. 13 death of Mindy Morgenstern, 22, of New Salem. The criminal complaint against him alleges he killed Morgenstern by cutting her throat.
Gibbs lived in Morgenstern’s apartment building with his pregnant wife and stepdaughter. He was working as a Barnes County jailer.
Nirou and another former girlfriend — Cheryl Gough, 38, of Burnaby, British Columbia — say they had children by Gibbs. They also said they were unaware of his criminal troubles.
Gibbs served 5 1/2 years at a military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for attempted premeditated murder, from January 1994 until April 1998. Gough said it resulted from a fight outside a nightclub, in which a bullet hit a female bystander.
Gough and Gibbs wrote letters to each other while he was in Leavenworth, and got together again after his release. She said Gibbs told her he was taking responsibility for what he had done and was trying to better himself and create a different life. She said the couple split up when she discovered Gibbs was cheating on her.
James Ferguson, 62, of Bellingham, a boxing coach who worked with Gibbs, said Gibbs also told him that he was trying to straighten up his life.
“ He was capable of creating mayhem (in the ring) ... but you know, it’s funny, there was this gentle side of him that I liked, too,” Ferguson said. “He was like this gentle giant, but behind the gentle giant, I knew he could be a killer in the ring.”
Ferguson said Gibbs was good enough to be a contender as a professional fighter, but his work ethic suffered.
Gibbs fought six professional bouts in six states. He lost all of them.
Nirou met Gibbs at Ferguson’s boxing club. She said she didn’t know about Gough, Gough's child with Gibbs, or his marriage to another Bellingham woman and her child.
Nirou and Gibbs were together for only four months.
“ He always had really strange stories, really weird,” she said. “I didn't buy any of them.”
Nirou said she believes Gibbs is a product of a difficult upbringing.
“ I think he's a good person who had a really bad childhood,” she said.