Jonah Michael Poole, a 19-year-old from Maryland, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of his former boss Edward Koza. Poole and his girlfriend Kylee Alyssa Dakes allegedly bound Koza and set his car on fire with him inside at his workplace. The incident occurred at Tropic Bay Water Gardens in Davidsonville.
On Wednesday, Jonah Michael Poole, 19, entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder charges related to the killing of 67-year-old Edward Koza. Poole had been scheduled for trial in June alongside his girlfriend, 19-year-old Kylee Alyssa Dakes, who faces the same charge but has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody at Anne Arundel County Jail. Dakes is set to appear in court on April 28, while Poole faces sentencing on June 26. Police believe the motivation was robbery, as Poole had worked at Koza's store for a couple of weekends the previous year. The attack took place on May 24, 2025, around 5:30 p.m. at Tropic Bay Water Gardens in Davidsonville, Maryland. According to criminal complaints, Poole and Dakes ambushed Koza at his business, bound him with duct tape over his mouth, and forced him into his own car. Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station captured Poole driving the vehicle, wearing a Bass Pro Shops hat and flannel shirt. Dakes was seen purchasing a gasoline container with two $5 bills. They returned to the store parking lot, parked the car, and set it ablaze with Koza still inside. Firefighters responded to the blaze that night, extinguishing it to find Koza's bound body. Investigators discovered a melted gasoline container and the discarded Bass Pro Shops hat nearby, indicating arson.