HAMPTON – A man convicted on drug charges has lost his final appeal, keeping him in prison for life without change of parole.

With the appeals exhausted, the mother of a man murdered 10 years ago hopes witnesses will come forward without fear that Terry Moore can hurt them.

Moore is the prime suspect in the October 1998 murder of 20-year-old Ray Shawn, killed at a convenience store near his home.

Video: Hampton mother appeals to witnesses of son's murder

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Six months earlier, he'd watched as his best friend was gunned down at a Newport News club.  He was ready to swear in court that Moore was the shooter.

Not long after testifying in a preliminary hearing, Shawn was killed.

His mother, Chris Suiter, says Terry Moore threatened him, trying to keep him from testifying

"My son said he had to do it. They were like brothers.  They grew up together. He said he couldn't live with himself if he didn't help his friend," Suiter recalls.

Without Shawn's testimony, the murder case against Moore fell apart.

In 2001, Moore was convicted on drug charges.

All along, Ray's parents have believed Moore was responsible and detectives admit he’s the prime suspect. But tying Moore to the case has been difficult, authorities say, because of fear.

Shawn’s mother hopes news of Moore's lost appeal will create movement in her son's murder investigation.

"I need justice for my family. 10 years is a long time to keep going to police stations and commonwealth's attorneys begging for this. They need that little push and it might just work," Suiter says.