PANAMA CITY — The family of a woman gunned down in her car in a busy shopping center has filed a lawsuit against the man accused of shooting her.
The wrongful death suit against Joseph Moody seeks damages exceeding $15,000 and access to his home so the survivors of Megan Pettis can retrieve the belongings they believe she left there.
Moody was a member of the Panama City Fire Department before his arrest in March on a count of first-degree murder. He’s accused of stalking Pettis, his former girlfriend, and ambushing her in a parking lot on 23rd Street, where she was shot in the head and involved in a car crash when she tried to flee.
Moody’s home has been put up for sale, and the Pettis family has not been allowed to retrieve her possessions, the suit alleges. They are asking a judge to prohibit the sale of the house until they can get them back.
The suit also seeks damages for pain and suffering and medical and funeral expenses.
Moody appeared Friday in court, where attorneys wrangled over mental competency issues. Dana Morris, who is filling in for Moody’s attorney Rusty Shepard, said the doctor that prosecutors want to use to examine Moody has a conflict of interests because he’s already done so at the defense’s requests.
Judge Michael Overstreet set another hearing next week.
Moody had been recently released from a mental health treatment facility when he was arrested for murder on May 19.