Larry Morse II, Merced County district attorney from 2006 to 2018, dies at age 64
Former Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse II, a longtime prosecutor who was respected by attorneys on both sides of the courtroom, has died.
The 64-year-old died suddenly of a heart attack on Tuesday.
The veteran attorney took the reins of the Merced County District Attorney’s Office in 2006 and led the office until the beginning of 2019.
He distinguished himself during his career by prosecuting some of the most difficult cases while in the top job. He secured the death penalty conviction of Cuitlahuac Tahua “Tao” Rivera for the April 2004 murder of Merced Police Officer Stephan Gray.
After his time as district attorney, he joined the California District Attorneys Association as its legislative director and acted as the chief lobbyist on behalf of the elected prosecutors in California.
The association Chief Executive Greg Totten said Morse’s death came as a surprise. “Larry was kind of the brother I never had. A lion in our profession,” Totten said. “It leaves a hole we can’t fill.”
Totten said Morse had “a brilliant legal mind” as a prosecutor and was able to articulate the association’s stances as a lobbyist. “He commanded people’s attention. He was larger than life,” he said. “He had that Irish charm and steely determination to accomplish any task.”
Morse had compassion for victims and those he prosecuted alike, Totten said.
“The perception of prosecutors is we’re tough, hard-nosed people. Larry had a heart,” Totten said. “A heart for people he was prosecuting. He wanted to do the right thing.”
Merced Mayor Matt Serratto, who started working for the DA’s office in 2007 and is now chief deputy district attorney, was promoted to supervising deputy under Morse.
Serratto was also shocked about the news, saying prosecutors and defense attorneys all had respect for Morse. Serratto called Morse a “fantastic lawyer.”
“He was a fabulous lawyer and he always taught us to do the right things as prosecutors and do it in the right way,” Serratto said.
Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, worked with Morse for many years and also had kind words to share.
“Larry’s contributions to Merced, the San Joaquin Valley and the state of California will never be forgotten. He was respected by his allies and critics alike because no matter the situation, his empathy never failed him. Larry was just a good guy all around. He was both a mentor and a friend. He will be missed,” Gray said.
Morse’s death is the latest tragedy for his family, following the 2019 death of his son Ethan, who was shot to death in Atwater. The suspect in that case has not been arrested.
Morse was Merced County’s 30th district attorney. He was elected without opposition in November 2006, and took over for District Attorney Gordon Spencer, who resigned abruptly during several investigations into ethical issues
Morse was succeeded by Kimberly Lewis, who was elected as Merced County District Attorney in June 2018.
Morse joined the Merced County District Attorney’s Office in 1993, after working as a newspaper reporter for the Arkansas Democrat and legislative director for a state senator. After five years as a deputy district attorney, Morse became the county’s chief deputy district attorney in 1998.
He is survived by his wife Cindy Morse, two sons and a granddaughter.
This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Larry Morse II, Merced County district attorney from 2006 to 2018, dies at age 64."
