A 19-year-old man has admitted to killing Edgewater koi pond store owner Edward Steven Koza, whose body was found inside his burnt pickup truck in May. Jonah Michael Poole pleaded guilty to first-degree murder at a hearing in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon. The terms of the plea agreement are unclear, but carrying first-degree murder can result in up to life in prison.
Poole’s high school girlfriend, Kylee Alyssa Dakes, 19, was arrested and charged with murder, arson, and kidnapping in Koza’s death. She is scheduled to stand trial in June.
Prosecutors say Poole and Dakes attacked Koza at his store on the evening of May 24, beating him, binding his arms, covering his mouth, and taking him for a ride in his pickup truck. The pair then doused the vehicle in gasoline and set it ablaze.
Security cameras captured footage of the couple together throughout the day and into the night before the killing. They also exchanged messages on Snapchat after the event, with Poole writing that “it went so well.” The motive behind the murder is unclear, but it was reportedly linked to a dispute over employment at Koza’s store.
Source: https://www.thebanner.com/community/criminal-justice/edgewater-store-owner-murder-guilty-plea-3OLSMHI73VDP5FQ6YUY3UXU6NE