Dateline NBC “The Clearing” October 6 2023 Recap & Preview
Dateline’s upcoming two-hour episode, titled “The Clearing,” is set to air on Friday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
The episode explores the story of Emily Noble, a woman whose body was discovered by three women in a wooded area near her home nearly four months after she went missing. Investigators must determine whether Emily’s death was a suicide or a homicide. In this episode, Emily’s husband, Matt Moore, speaks exclusively about the case, shedding light on the events that rocked a small Ohio town.
The episode is reported by Dennis Murphy and features interviews with key individuals, including Matheau ‘Matt’ Moore, Detective Steve Grubbs, Defense Attorney Diane Menashe, Emily’s friends, and others. The setting for this story is Westerville, Ohio, where the events unfolded.
“The Clearing” promises to provide an in-depth exploration of this mysterious and emotionally charged case, offering viewers a closer look at the details and circumstances surrounding Emily Noble’s tragic death.
What Happened to Emily Noble & Matt Noble?
The case of Emily Noble, who went missing in May 2020 and was later found dead in a wooded area near her home in Westerville, Ohio, generated significant attention. Her body was discovered hanging by a USB cord wrapped around her neck and attached to a honeysuckle branch. The circumstances surrounding her death raised questions about whether it was a suicide, an accident, or foul play.
After investigations, forensic evidence revealed that Emily Noble’s injuries, including bone fractures in her face and neck, were consistent with manual strangulation, not suicide. Her husband, Matheau Moore, was subsequently charged with two counts of murder, one intentional and the other connected to a charge of felonious assault.
Moore’s trial in Delaware County Common Pleas Court gained national attention, with coverage by Court TV. However, despite the forensic evidence and the prosecution’s assertion that Moore had staged Noble’s death to appear as a suicide, a Delaware County jury found Moore not guilty on each count after deliberating for just under three hours.
Throughout the trial, experts from both the prosecution and the defense presented conflicting testimony about the cause of Noble’s injuries. The prosecution’s witnesses, including a forensic anthropologist, pathologist, and officials from the Delaware County Coroner’s Office, argued that her death was a homicide and that a hanging wouldn’t have caused the fractures. Dr. William Smock, an expert on strangulation, testified that her injuries were consistent with manual strangulation.
The defense argued that Noble had a history of fragile bones and that the initial investigation was flawed. They presented notes from Noble’s psychologists indicating her struggles with depression following family deaths, including her first husband’s suicide and Moore’s son’s suicide.
The trial included emotional moments, with Moore sobbing when the judge declared him not guilty. During closing arguments, the prosecution asserted that Emily Noble did not die by suicide and emphasized her absence of any suicide note or goodbye messages to loved ones. Meanwhile, the defense argued that the case was based on speculation and that mental health complexities could lead to unexpected outcomes.
I highly suspect that Emily was taking antidepressants. They can cause serious suicidal thoughts and actions. When friends and relatives don’t believe that their loved one would have even killed themselves, they need to know how powerful antidepressant-induced suicidal ideation is and how it can radically change a person’s brain. I know…it happened to me, but I was too sick to even walk while going through Paxil withdrawal. I wish that this little “side” effect of SSRI antidepressants were more widely known.