August 22, 2025 • 9 mins
A toddler found unresponsive in a bathtub. A mother with too many stories that don’t add up. And a confession that turned a drowning into something far more sinister.
When two-year-old O’Rhyan Moore was rushed to the hospital, doctors said his brain had already suffered irreversible damage. Four days later, he was gone. But what really happened inside that apartment in Tallahassee? And why did his mother call a grandmother for help instead of dialing 911?
This week, we go through the disturbing details behind O’Rhyan’s final moments—and the investigation that now has his mother, Raymonda Ford, facing a first-degree murder charge.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Visit my site for more resources: https://wp.me/PdbuVw-X4f
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
When two-year-old O’Rhyan Moore was rushed to the hospital, doctors said his brain had already suffered irreversible damage. Four days later, he was gone. But what really happened inside that apartment in Tallahassee? And why did his mother call a grandmother for help instead of dialing 911?
This week, we go through the disturbing details behind O’Rhyan’s final moments—and the investigation that now has his mother, Raymonda Ford, facing a first-degree murder charge.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Visit my site for more resources: https://wp.me/PdbuVw-X4f
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
On May ninth, twenty twenty five, emergency responders were called
to an apartment in Tallahassee, Florida, after reports of a
child drowning in a bathtub, but the call didn't come
from the child's mother. Instead of dialing nine one one,
twenty four year old Ramona Ford called the child's paternal
grandmother for help. By the time responders arrived, two year
(00:25):
old Orian Moore was unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital,
where doctors discovered he had no brain function from irreversible
and profound brain damage. For four days, his family held on,
but on May thirteenth, o'rian was taken off life support
and pronounced dead.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide were Kai's
AI co hosts and This is Your Florida Man Friday
episode where Chi writes true crimes out of Florida that
range from disturbing to unthinkable. Today's case is no different,
and while it's part of our Friday series, it's a
story that deserves to be told with the victims at
(01:06):
the center. If you're new here, make sure to subscribe
so you don't miss an episode, and remember you can
join us on the Patreon at patreon dot com slash
Love and Murder, you can sign up for free or
choose a bonus tier for exclusive episodes, case files, and more.
As a side note, this case is still ongoing, so
everything said in this episode is alleged. With that being said,
(01:29):
let's get back to your Florida Man Friday case.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Orion was described as a happy, affectionate boy who loved
cuddling his penguin plushy and watching cartoons. A GoFundMe created
in his name said he suffered irreversible and profound brain damage.
According to Ramona's statement to police, the events of May
ninth started when she was making food for her three children.
(01:55):
She said O'Rion had made a mess with his food,
so she decided to bathe him. She claimed her bottom
shower force it wasn't working, so she was forced to
fill the tub with the shower head, and then the
water drained out slowly because the drain didn't work properly.
Around that time, Raymona had also asked O'Ryan's father to
(02:16):
take the boy so that she could celebrate her birthday.
He refused, and police later found out that detail matched
what the child's grandmother said alleging that Raymona often hurt
Oriyan when she was angry at his father. When police
asked Raymona about some injuries they noticed on Orion, Raymona
admitted to hitting him on the head at least three
(02:36):
times in anger, saying it was because of his behavior
and the mess in the house. She acknowledged that she
had originally left this detail out in her initial account
to the responding police. She then said that after hitting o'rian,
she left him alone in the bathtub, claiming she stepped
out to check on a smoking pot on the stove.
(02:58):
She then cleaned the kitchen and checked on another child.
She insisted that she checked on Orion within a minute,
only to find him floating on his back in about
two inches of water, his feet toward the faucet, bubbles
coming from his nose. She described him as quote floating
or halfway floating in the tub. His face was above
(03:20):
the water, like quote someone floating in a pool. Investigators
said that her description didn't line up with a typical drowning.
They had Raymona perform a quote video recorded walkthrough of
the incident by filling up the tub and letting the
water drain along with a doll to represent o'rian in
(03:40):
the tub.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
During the incident, Ford claimed to have found Orian Moore
on his back with his feet towards the bathtub faucet.
She said his face was out of the water and
the water level was approximately two inches. She stated that
Orian Moore appeared to be floating or half way floating
in the tub, and gave the example of someone floating
in a pool. This would indicate air being in Orion
(04:03):
Moore's lungs when she stated she discovered him, and not
consistent with drowning.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Ems had also documented seizure like activity when they arrived.
Investigators later said there was no evidence of Raymona checking
on Orian within a minute, just like there was little
to no evidence of any stovetop emergency. The medical examiner
found acute trauma to O'Ryan's head and neck, which likely
caused seizures and complications when he was submerged. His death
(04:32):
was ruled a homicide. During her recorded walkthrough of the scene,
Raymona changed her story several times, first saying she left
O'Ryan alone for one or two minutes, then later admitting
it could have been three to five minutes. Combined with
her confession and the medical findings. Investigators concluded that she
struck her child, left him unattended, and that his injuries
(04:55):
directly led to his death. They also alleged she tried
to hide her abuse.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I agree with the investigator's allegations, but I want to
remind parents that you never leave your young children unattended
for even a second in any amount of water. A
young child can drown in just a teaspoon of water,
believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Following an extensive and detailed investigation, which included findings from
the Medical Examiner's office, detectives determined Ford had struck the
child multiple times, causing him to suffer seizures and ultimately
drown after being left unattended in the bathtub.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
On August thirteenth, twenty twenty five, after three months of investigation,
Ramona was arrested and charged with one count of first
degree murder also referred to as wilful and premeditated murder
in reports, and aggravated child abuse also referred to as
cruelty toward a child by aggravated battery in reports. The
(05:58):
next day, she appeared in court via zoom, where a
judge denied her bond under what's called an Arthur hold,
meaning a separate hearing will decide if she could ever
be released pending trial. During the hearing, she said that
she wanted to hire her own lawyer, but admitted she
only had quote just under one thousand dollars, which the
judge said wouldn't be enough. She remains in the Leon
(06:21):
County Detention Center. Prosecutors are expected to build their case
on Raymona's confession, the autopsy findings, and her inconsistent stories.
They will also focus on her decision to call the
child's grandmother instead of nine one one, and the alleged
motive that she was angry with Orion's father. Kai is
not sure if the prosecution would bring this up. But
(06:42):
remember when I told you that there had been a
go fund me started in Orion's name. Well, that page
has since been deactivated. It appears that the organizer of
the page was identified as raymona form from Tallahassee. In it,
the organizer wrote.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
A ray is an amazing constellation. It is viewed as
a hunter and a king. My son's name was Orian.
Orian was a very affectionate baby. He loved his penguin
plushy cuddling and watching cartoons. He was a very happy child.
Due to legal limitations, I can't go in depth disclosing
(07:20):
information about this tragic incident, but nothing can prepare you
for that. As a parent, I held his hand and
held out hope through each test. I tried to encourage
my baby. If I could fight for him, I would have.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Something else they'll likely focus on. This wasn't the first
drowning incident that Orian had experienced under his mother's care.
Records showed that back in twenty twenty three, when he
was just eleven months old, there had been another bathtub incident,
but at the time it wasn't flagged as suspicious, so
no investigation was done on this incident. The defense hasn't
(07:55):
laid out a strategy, but they may argue accidental drowning
negligence or point to her grief as proof that she
wasn't intentionally trying to kill her son. Still, her confession
and the medical examiner's findings will be difficult for them
to overcome. For now, no trial date has been set
and the case is still in its earliest stages. Meanwhile,
(08:19):
the Tallahassee community is left grieving the loss of another child.
O'riyan's death is the third child homicide reported in the
city in just four months, a pattern that has many
in their community asking how many more young lives will
be lost before something changes.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
What do you think about this case? Do you think
this was an accidental or purposeful drowning? Let Kai know
your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for listening all
the way to the end. It means a lot to
me and everyone involved. If you want more, join us
on Patreon at patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder.
You can sign up free so you never miss an
(08:59):
up and still get a few extras, but if you
want the full experience bonus cases, ad free episodes, the
Deadly Duo series, exclusive behind the scenes content, and to
become one of the voices shouting out for the victims,
then sign up for one of our bonus tears. Your
support keeps this podcast going and helps us continue telling
these stories with the victims in mind. Patreon dot com
(09:23):
Slash Love and Murder. We'll see you in the next case.
On May ninth, twenty twenty five, emergency responders were called
to an apartment in Tallahassee, Florida, after reports of a
child drowning in a bathtub, but the call didn't come
from the child's mother. Instead of dialing nine one one,
twenty four year old Ramona Ford called the child's paternal
grandmother for help. By the time responders arrived, two year
(00:25):
old Orian Moore was unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital,
where doctors discovered he had no brain function from irreversible
and profound brain damage. For four days, his family held on,
but on May thirteenth, o'rian was taken off life support
and pronounced dead.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide were Kai's
AI co hosts and This is Your Florida Man Friday
episode where Chi writes true crimes out of Florida that
range from disturbing to unthinkable. Today's case is no different,
and while it's part of our Friday series, it's a
story that deserves to be told with the victims at
(01:06):
the center. If you're new here, make sure to subscribe
so you don't miss an episode, and remember you can
join us on the Patreon at patreon dot com slash
Love and Murder, you can sign up for free or
choose a bonus tier for exclusive episodes, case files, and more.
As a side note, this case is still ongoing, so
everything said in this episode is alleged. With that being said,
(01:29):
let's get back to your Florida Man Friday case.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Orion was described as a happy, affectionate boy who loved
cuddling his penguin plushy and watching cartoons. A GoFundMe created
in his name said he suffered irreversible and profound brain damage.
According to Ramona's statement to police, the events of May
ninth started when she was making food for her three children.
(01:55):
She said O'Rion had made a mess with his food,
so she decided to bathe him. She claimed her bottom
shower force it wasn't working, so she was forced to
fill the tub with the shower head, and then the
water drained out slowly because the drain didn't work properly.
Around that time, Raymona had also asked O'Ryan's father to
(02:16):
take the boy so that she could celebrate her birthday.
He refused, and police later found out that detail matched
what the child's grandmother said alleging that Raymona often hurt
Oriyan when she was angry at his father. When police
asked Raymona about some injuries they noticed on Orion, Raymona
admitted to hitting him on the head at least three
(02:36):
times in anger, saying it was because of his behavior
and the mess in the house. She acknowledged that she
had originally left this detail out in her initial account
to the responding police. She then said that after hitting o'rian,
she left him alone in the bathtub, claiming she stepped
out to check on a smoking pot on the stove.
(02:58):
She then cleaned the kitchen and checked on another child.
She insisted that she checked on Orion within a minute,
only to find him floating on his back in about
two inches of water, his feet toward the faucet, bubbles
coming from his nose. She described him as quote floating
or halfway floating in the tub. His face was above
(03:20):
the water, like quote someone floating in a pool. Investigators
said that her description didn't line up with a typical drowning.
They had Raymona perform a quote video recorded walkthrough of
the incident by filling up the tub and letting the
water drain along with a doll to represent o'rian in
(03:40):
the tub.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
During the incident, Ford claimed to have found Orian Moore
on his back with his feet towards the bathtub faucet.
She said his face was out of the water and
the water level was approximately two inches. She stated that
Orian Moore appeared to be floating or half way floating
in the tub, and gave the example of someone floating
in a pool. This would indicate air being in Orion
(04:03):
Moore's lungs when she stated she discovered him, and not
consistent with drowning.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Ems had also documented seizure like activity when they arrived.
Investigators later said there was no evidence of Raymona checking
on Orian within a minute, just like there was little
to no evidence of any stovetop emergency. The medical examiner
found acute trauma to O'Ryan's head and neck, which likely
caused seizures and complications when he was submerged. His death
(04:32):
was ruled a homicide. During her recorded walkthrough of the scene,
Raymona changed her story several times, first saying she left
O'Ryan alone for one or two minutes, then later admitting
it could have been three to five minutes. Combined with
her confession and the medical findings. Investigators concluded that she
struck her child, left him unattended, and that his injuries
(04:55):
directly led to his death. They also alleged she tried
to hide her abuse.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I agree with the investigator's allegations, but I want to
remind parents that you never leave your young children unattended
for even a second in any amount of water. A
young child can drown in just a teaspoon of water,
believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Following an extensive and detailed investigation, which included findings from
the Medical Examiner's office, detectives determined Ford had struck the
child multiple times, causing him to suffer seizures and ultimately
drown after being left unattended in the bathtub.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
On August thirteenth, twenty twenty five, after three months of investigation,
Ramona was arrested and charged with one count of first
degree murder also referred to as wilful and premeditated murder
in reports, and aggravated child abuse also referred to as
cruelty toward a child by aggravated battery in reports. The
(05:58):
next day, she appeared in court via zoom, where a
judge denied her bond under what's called an Arthur hold,
meaning a separate hearing will decide if she could ever
be released pending trial. During the hearing, she said that
she wanted to hire her own lawyer, but admitted she
only had quote just under one thousand dollars, which the
judge said wouldn't be enough. She remains in the Leon
(06:21):
County Detention Center. Prosecutors are expected to build their case
on Raymona's confession, the autopsy findings, and her inconsistent stories.
They will also focus on her decision to call the
child's grandmother instead of nine one one, and the alleged
motive that she was angry with Orion's father. Kai is
not sure if the prosecution would bring this up. But
(06:42):
remember when I told you that there had been a
go fund me started in Orion's name. Well, that page
has since been deactivated. It appears that the organizer of
the page was identified as raymona form from Tallahassee. In it,
the organizer wrote.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
A ray is an amazing constellation. It is viewed as
a hunter and a king. My son's name was Orian.
Orian was a very affectionate baby. He loved his penguin
plushy cuddling and watching cartoons. He was a very happy child.
Due to legal limitations, I can't go in depth disclosing
(07:20):
information about this tragic incident, but nothing can prepare you
for that. As a parent, I held his hand and
held out hope through each test. I tried to encourage
my baby. If I could fight for him, I would have.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Something else they'll likely focus on. This wasn't the first
drowning incident that Orian had experienced under his mother's care.
Records showed that back in twenty twenty three, when he
was just eleven months old, there had been another bathtub incident,
but at the time it wasn't flagged as suspicious, so
no investigation was done on this incident. The defense hasn't
(07:55):
laid out a strategy, but they may argue accidental drowning
negligence or point to her grief as proof that she
wasn't intentionally trying to kill her son. Still, her confession
and the medical examiner's findings will be difficult for them
to overcome. For now, no trial date has been set
and the case is still in its earliest stages. Meanwhile,
(08:19):
the Tallahassee community is left grieving the loss of another child.
O'riyan's death is the third child homicide reported in the
city in just four months, a pattern that has many
in their community asking how many more young lives will
be lost before something changes.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
What do you think about this case? Do you think
this was an accidental or purposeful drowning? Let Kai know
your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for listening all
the way to the end. It means a lot to
me and everyone involved. If you want more, join us
on Patreon at patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder.
You can sign up free so you never miss an
(08:59):
up and still get a few extras, but if you
want the full experience bonus cases, ad free episodes, the
Deadly Duo series, exclusive behind the scenes content, and to
become one of the voices shouting out for the victims,
then sign up for one of our bonus tears. Your
support keeps this podcast going and helps us continue telling
these stories with the victims in mind. Patreon dot com
(09:23):
Slash Love and Murder. We'll see you in the next case.
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