Soldier who stabbed nine-month pregnant friend while her husband stationed overseas saw the whole thing on Facetime is sentenced to 30-years behind bars
- Corey Bernard Moss has also been dihonorably discharged
- Stabbed Rachel Poole in October of 2013 over a $3,000 car repair debt
- His defense pleaded for leniency but the jury gave him none
- Judge said that he would be eligible for parole in 15 years
- Poole and her baby survived the attack and are currently healthy
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The Fort Bliss soldier who repeatedly stabbed a pregnant military wife while she was on Face-Time with her husband posted overseas was sentenced to 30-years behind bars in El Paso, Texas today.
The day after crying in court while he watched himself confess to stabbing nine-month pregnant Rachel Poole in October last year, Corey Bernard Moss, 20, listened in silence as his sentence was read.
Moss admitted to breaking into the home of his friend on the evening of October 30, 2013 and then stabbing her in the head, back and neck, while she was talking to her husband, Justin Poole, who was stationed in Qatar at the time of the attack. She survived and so did her baby.
Tears and testimony: Corey Bernard Moss broke down in tears (left) as he listened to his confession in the El Paso court room on Tuesday and then took the stand (right) in the hope of lessening his sentence of 30 years. He did not
New mother: Rachel Poole in hospital in the aftermath of her attack by Moss in October that left her blind in one eye and with multiple stab wounds on her torso and back
Injuries suffered: A mass of stitches can be seen on Rachel Poole's arm (left) while a horrific wound (right) just missed her spinal column during Moss' attack
Survivor: Rachel and her husband Justin Poole have come through the ordeal well and their baby girl is now safe and well (right)
In court on Tuesday, Moss explained why he attacked a heavily pregnant women with a knife, saying that he didn't want to pay back $3,000 to the Poole's, who considered him a close family friend.
Moss said that he had asked the Poole's to borrow a car while Justin was deployed, but when he returned it the car had serious damage, which they asked him repay.
'I gave Rachel the car back in August, and she was upset with the damage, she said I needed to pay for it and gave me an estimate of $3,000,' Moss said prior to his sentencing.
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ShareHe gave the court a sob story and said that he wanted to leave the army, take his own fiancee and daughter to New York, but couldn't if he owed the Poole's money.
'Money was really tight, rent was due, I got paid on that Thursday and I knew I couldn't give it to Rachel Poole, I knew I had other priorities,' he said to the court according to KFOXTV.
'My mindset was that my relationship with my fiancee was more important than getting the truck fixed, I kept bullsh***ng, delaying, and making up excuses to the Pooles as to why I couldn't pay them back.'
He said that eventually Rachel Poole contacted his military superiors who ordered him to pay the money.
Horror show: Rachel Poole (left), was nine months pregnant when she was stabbed multiple times by an intruder in her home as her husband Justin (right), who was deployed overseas, watched in horror on video chat
Ambush: El Paso police say Moss went to the Pooles' home in the 9400 block of Wichita Circle, broken in and waited for Rachel to come home
It was then that he borrowed a knife from a fellow soldier and claims he went to the Poole's to 'frighten' pregnant Rachel.
'I waited, she opened the door, next thing you know I just started stabbing her. She turned around and yelled at me, she knocked my shades off. I had her on the ground, I tried to put my hand over her mouth, I was stabbing her,' said Moss.
'I wasn't saying a word at all, she was screaming at me to please stop and please don't kill her, but then she stopped screaming and I thought to myself, 'Please don't tell me she's dead.'
Moss, who will also be dishonorably discharged from the military, said he didn't know how many times he stabbed Rachel.
'I don't remember, I think it was a lot of times, too many times,' he said.
'I didn't intend to kill her, I wasn't trying to get rid of her, it wanted to delay until my papers were done. I didn't want to pay back that $3,000.'
Moss then revealed his twisted mindset and told the court how he ran away from the house and texted his friend, who he had just stabbed, 'Are you off work yet, Mrs. Poole?' - to make it look like he was never there.
Happier times: A photo of Rachel and Justin Poole before the attack that will change their lives forever
However, Moss did not know that Justin Poole had seen and heard his friend attack his wife and phoned him and said, 'What the hell have you done?'
When he returned home in Fort Bliss, a mutual friend of his and the Poole's restrained him upon sight.
'I ran away, but Perkins is really fast and he tackled me to the ground,' Moss said. 'That's when I realized I'm going to jail for a long time.'
Moss told an incredulous court room that he didn't know Rachel was pregnant.
'The injuries I caused to her with my hands, I still can't believe I did that. I harmed somebody who called me a friend, who treated me like family, and I repaid them by destroying their family,' said Moss to the court according to KFOX TV.
At his sentencing on Wednesday, prosecutor William Prasher said that Moss was a danger to society.
'The defense says there’s two victims in this case? There’s three. One stab lower than the chest and Rachel’s sweet little girl isn’t alive.
Suspect: Cory Bernard Moss, 19, allegedly admitted to the knife attack, which was reportedly sparked by a money dispute
'He didn’t want to pay Rachel $3,000. That’s the defense’s excuse for attempting double murder? Are you kidding me?'
Just days after the attack Rachel gave birth to a daughter named Isabella at University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas by caesarean section.
Rachel was blinded in one eye after being stabbed in the head.
The-then 31-year-old mother-to-be was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition and treated for stab wounds to her face and body and multiple fractures.
The attack happened when Poole came home and began talking to her husband, stationed in Qatar.
A short time later, police say Moss came out of hiding and surprised Rachel Poole from behind, repeatedly stabbing her with a foldout stainless steel knife and beating her.
According to the affidavit, the victim instantly recognized Moss as her husband's debtor and yelled out his name several times so Justin Poole could hear it over the phone.
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