Billy Moore never tried to shy away from the horrible crime he committed in 1974. After his arrest for murder, he gave the police a two hour confession.

And standing before a group of young people Monday night at North Board Baptist Church in Rome, he told the story again of the Jefferson County crime that kept him on Georgia’s death row for more than 16 years.

The state Board of Pardons and Paroles commuted his death sentence to life in 1990, and in 1992 he was granted parole.

Moore, of Atlanta, spoke to the Parent and Youth Support Group, which was organized by April Thomas as a way to keep kids out of the juvenile court system.

He told the group about his troubled past, including a father who went to prison when Moore was just 4-years-old. Then, at 16, Moore broke into someone’s home. Even joining the Army could not keep him out of trouble, he said.

“Me and my fellow soldiers were selling drugs and we were robbing the other soldiers,” he said.

After his first wife left him with a 3-year-old son to raise, Moore said, he became desperate for money.

The night he committed the murder, he and a friend planned to rob the 74-year-old victim because they believed he had $30,000 in his house. They were drunk and couldn’t get inside so they left. Moore went back to the house later and felt his way through the dark.

“The next thing I feel is a shotgun butt that hits me in the leg,” Moore said. “I take out a pistol and shoot him. My whole life my conscience never bothered me about anything I did. But I just killed everything he ever had or ever could be.”

In anguish about what he had done, Moore confessed, not knowing it would bring a death sentence.

Moore had 13 execution dates set and came within seven hours of execution in 1984.

While in prison, Moore became a Christian and led Bible studies.

His victim’s family forgave him and appeared before the Parole Board to help secure his release in 1992.

Moore told the group that prison was tough but cautioned that you can become imprisoned even if you are not behind bars.

“You don’t have to be in prison and on death row like I was,” Moore said. “If you are allowing drugs or alcohol to control your life, you are in prison.”