(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) Raymond Moore, shown in a booking photo and being taken into custody by Manchester police, was arrested in both Manchester and Nashua in the weeks leading up to the murder of an elderly Manchester man, for which Moore has been charged.

MANCHESTER — Daniel Whitmore, a 75-year-old resident of Manchester’s south end, enjoyed the morning walks he frequently took in the vicinity of his home, which included a popular rail trail that skirts the western edge of Nutt’s Pond, according to people who knew him.

But just after 10:30 Friday morning, Whitmore’s walk suddenly turned violent, when a man later identified as Raymond Moore — who was out on bail after recent arrests in Nashua and Manchester — allegedly stabbed Whitmore to death.

Police, firefighters and ambulance personnel responded to the scene after receiving reports that a man was suffering from stab wounds. Emergency medical treatment was administered, but the man, later identified as Whitmore, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Witnesses quickly gave police a description of a man, wearing a mask and tan shorts, who fled the area on foot heading down the rail trail toward Gold Street, according to police.

As officers flooded the area in search of the suspect, they were directed toward the area of Walmart on Gold Street. They soon spotted the man matching the description, and took him into custody, police said.

He was identified as Moore, age 40, who had come to the Manchester area from Mississippi in early July. Police booked him on one count of second-degree murder, accusing him of causing Whitmore’s death “under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life by stabbing (Whitmore) with a knife,” which, according to an autopsy report, allegedly caused stab and incise wounds.

Following booking, Moore was ordered held in jail pending arraignment, which is scheduled for today in Hillsborough County Superior Court North.

On Aug. 30, just three days before Whitmore was killed, Moore was arrested by Nashua police on one count of disorderly conduct and two counts of resisting arrest or detention, all of which are Class A misdemeanors.

Moore was booked and later released on bail, although it’s not clear if it was personal recognizance or cash bail. Barring extenuating circumstances, defendants charged with misdemeanor offenses are typically released on bail.

Details on the incident that led to that arrest weren’t immediately available.

Several weeks earlier, on July 10, Manchester police arrested Moore on more serious charges — attempted first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, a Class A felony, along with one count each of criminal threatening and falsifying physical evidence, which are Class B felonies.

Despite the seriousness of the charges, Moore was released on personal recognizance bail after police booked him on the charges.

The incident that led to the arrest took place at Stanton Park, outside of 700 Elm St., which is known as a popular gathering spot for homeless people.

According to court documents, the alleged assault began at the park and continued in nearby Veterans Park. Police were called to 100 Merrimack St., where they located a suspect, later identified as Moore, who was allegedly yelling “I am going to (expletive) kill you” to another person standing across the street.

Moore was accused of attempting to stab the other person in the stomach, documents state. Questioned further, Moore allegedly indicated he could not describe the area because he had only arrived in Manchester 10 days earlier.

Following arrest and booking, Moore was held overnight in jail, but following arraignment the next day he was released on PR bail.

Meanwhile, several people who live near the location of Friday’s fatal stabbing expressed anger and concern over the security of the public walking trail.

They spoke about the numerous homeless camps in the area, and said several homeless people were living in the woods next to the trail, as well as in a large encampment behind Walmart. They also mentioned the large encampment next to Home Depot that has since been removed, noting that it was the scene of fires, a robbery and several overdoses.

Residents also expressed concern over the fact that Whitmore is the second deceased person found in the area in less than a month. On Aug. 9, a man was pulled from Nutt’s Pond by Manchester firefighters, police and state police Marine Patrol personnel.

Initially, no information was released on the body found on Aug. 9 other than it was that of a man, but he was later identified as Keith Hembrough, 28, of Manchester.

In a follow-up request, police spokeswoman Heather Hamel confirmed that Hembrough’s cause of death remains pending, but authorities do not believe the death is suspicious.

–JEFFREY HASTINGS