“Philadelphia Man Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder in Shooting Death of Richard A. Edwards Jr.”

Accident – Death – Obituary News : A Philadelphia man, Antonio Kelly, has been found guilty of second-degree murder and several related offenses in the shooting death of Richard A. Edwards Jr. in Upper Darby in April 2021. Kelly, who is 21 years old and resides in the 2600 block of North 24th Street, was also convicted of robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle, conspiracy, and firearms offenses. However, he was acquitted of charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to first-degree murder.

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Sophia Polites stated that Kelly and another man had stalked Edwards on the night of April 9 before shooting him in the 7200 block of Ruskin Lane. After the shooting, the two men fled the scene in a blue Volkswagen Jetta that they had carjacked from another victim two days prior.

Polites described Edwards as an innocent victim and expressed her sympathy for his family, stating, “He didn’t deserve to die. And what this defendant did was leave a family broken with shattered hearts.”

The carjacking incident occurred on April 7 on the 7800 block of Westview Avenue. The victim testified that he had been warming up his vehicle around 5 a.m. when two men in all black, wearing black masks, approached his car. One of the men knocked on his window, and when he rolled it down, the man pointed a black handgun at him and ordered him out of the vehicle. The victim did not have any cash, but the robbers demanded his car keys, which he provided. The robbers then fled the scene in the victim’s car.

Detective Leo Hanshaw testified that video surveillance of the carjacking showed one of the robbers wearing a puffy jacket, which was also seen in video footage from the night of the murder. The footage showed the same blue Jetta driving around the area where the shooting took place, as well as two men walking in an alley behind Galloway’s Pub and Guilford Road. The victim can be seen crossing the block where the shooting occurred, followed by the two men. A few minutes later, the men run back down the alley, and one of them appears to be holding something to his side.

The firearm used in the shooting was recovered during a police raid in November 2021 at a house on McKinley Avenue. The gun, a 9 mm Luger, was determined to be the weapon that killed Edwards. Two individuals, a 47-year-old father, and his 20-year-old son, were arrested during the raid but have not been charged in Edwards’ death.

Kelly was identified as a suspect when the Jetta was spotted parked in front of a convenience store on Long Lane. Video surveillance showed two men exiting the vehicle and entering the store. One of the men wearing a puffy jacket was positively identified as Kelly by a Philadelphia juvenile probation officer. Kelly was later arrested at his residence.

During an interview with Detective Hanshaw, Kelly admitted to being present at both crime scenes but claimed he was not the triggerman. He stated that he was driving with a man named “Terrance” when the other man expressed a desire to commit a robbery. They spotted Edwards as a potential victim, parked the car on a side street, and followed him to the shooting scene. Kelly heard a gunshot and ran back to the car.

The defense attorney, William Wismer, argued that Kelly had been forthcoming with the police, identifying himself in surveillance images and providing a statement about both crimes. Wismer pointed out that the murder weapon was found in Hayward’s possession, allegedly with his DNA on it. He suggested that if Hayward had used the gun that night, he would have wanted to keep it close to avoid it falling into someone else’s hands and tying him to the murder.

In contrast, Polites argued that Kelly had not been entirely honest with the police, as he initially claimed not to have had a handgun during the carjacking when it was evident that he did. She suggested that if Kelly had a handgun that night, it was reasonable to believe he also had one on the night of the murder and was more involved in the robbery and shooting than he admitted.

The jury deliberated for approximately five and a half hours before reaching a verdict. Kelly’s sentencing is scheduled for February 29, pending evaluations for psychological, psychiatric, and substance abuse issues. He also faces another set of charges related to a January 2021 robbery and carjacking. Kelly is currently in custody at the county jail without bail.

The two Hayward men and a third defendant, Aleashia Jones, are scheduled for trials in June on charges stemming from the November raid. The investigation into Kelly’s accomplice in Edwards’ death remains open and ongoing..