jasdooit

A former MarylandA Koi pond employee who confessed to killing his boss and then set the body ablaze was sentenced on Friday to life in prison, with the chance of parole, stating in court that he deserved the punishment he received.

Jonah Michael Poole, 19, received a life sentence from Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Cathleen Vitale following his guilty plea in March for the first-degree murder of Edward Stephen Koza, 67, who owned Tropic Bay Water Gardens in Davidsonville.

The statement marks the end of a chapter in one of Maryland’s most alarming recent homicide cases, where prosecutors claimed Koza was beaten, tied up, put inside his own pickup truck, and set on fire following a fierce assault at the garden center he operated.

Judge Vitale also required Poole to surrender roughly $215,000 that prosecutors claimed was taken from Koza following a home burglary, as well as a truck worth approximately $15,000 that authorities stated was bought with illicit funds.

Due to Poole’s young age, the judge ordered that he be sent to the Patuxent Youth Facility’s Youthful Offender Program, a high-security rehabilitation initiative centered on treatment.

When given a chance to speak before the court, Poole expressed regret.

I believe I deserve whatever comes my way,” he stated. “I’m sorry because he didn’t need to die, and I have no justifications for my actions. I hope God can forgive me. I don’t expect anyone else to do the same.

He further mentioned that he had made others endure great suffering after Koza’s passing.

His co-defendant and ex-girlfriend, Kylee Alyssa Dakes, also 19, is still facing charges of first-degree murder. She has entered a not guilty plea and is set to go to trial in December.

Footage from a nearby BP gas station showed a man and woman arriving in Koza’s pickup truck just before it caught fire, according to investigators.

Prosecutors also used video footage found on Poole’s personal mobile device.

The video captured Dakes starting a recording as Poole poured gasoline into Koza’s truck, placed the fuel can inside, and then lit paper towels hanging from the driver’s side window using a lighter.

Following the murder, prosecutors stated that the couple went back to Dakes’ residence, where they sent Snapchat messages that were later presented in court.

Assistant State’s Attorney Marot Williamson informed the court that Poole stated, “it went so well.”

In a separate message cited by prosecutors, Poole is said to have written that he would need to ‘leave the area’ and referred to Dakes as ‘deserving of death.’

Poole’s punishment was handed down over a year following the discovery of Koza’s body inside his flaming pickup truck near Tropic Bay Water Gardens on West Central Avenue on May 24, 2025.

Officials stated that the victim’s arms, hands, and mouth were secured using adhesive tape.

As the investigators arrived at the business, they discovered signs of a fierce confrontation, such as shattered objects, a knife, and what the prosecutors later referred to as a bloodstained ornamental koi pond rock.

Williamson informed the court that Koza had bruises on both eyes, a broken nose, and what she referred to as ‘serious heat-related injuries.’

On Friday during the sentencing hearing, Judge Vitale indicated she considered the crime to be exceptionally violent.

“Young man, I have personally experienced sleepless nights regarding this case,” she said to Poole.

The judge stated that she thoroughly looked for any reason to give a reduced sentence due to the defendant’s age but eventually found none.

She mentioned that, without the negotiated plea deal, she would have contemplated sentencing him to life without the chance of parole.

Vitale also wondered why the violence increased so sharply, stating that Poole had multiple chances to leave before Koza was killed and his body was set on fire, according to reports.Law & Crime.

Following Judge Vitale’s sentencing, Poole quickly looked at the family members sitting in the courtroom and blew them a kiss before someone was heard saying, ‘We love you.’

Jonah Poole given a life sentence for the murder of the garden shop owner

A judge handed down a sentence to a man from Anne Arundel County for the murder of a garden shop owner last year. Jonah Poole, 19, from Davidsonville, admitted guilt in March to first-degree murder in the killing of Edward Koza, 67, in May 2025. The guilty plea occurred several months after a judge determined that Poole was fit to face trial. Authorities mentioned that Koza, who owned Tropic Bay Water Gardens, was taken against his will before being killed. On Friday, an Anne Arundel County judge imposed a life sentence on Poole, with the chance of parole. WBAL-TV is your source for Baltimore breaking news and weather. For the most recent updates on Baltimore news and weather, visit:https://www.wbaltv.com/ For licensing inquiries: https://www.wbaltv.com/licensing

YouTube • WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore

Defense lawyer David Fischer requested a much more lenient punishment, urging the court to sentence the individual to life imprisonment with nearly all of the term suspended, and to suggest enrollment in the Youthful Offender Program.

Fischer stated that the killing was “unacceptable,” while asking the court to take into account Poole’s challenging background and long-term mental health issues as factors that could reduce the severity of the punishment.

After the hearing, Fischer stated that he had respect for Judge Vitale’s ruling.

“I believe the sentencing process went smoothly for us today. I think the judge faced a very challenging decision, and we respect her choice,” he stated.

During emotional victim impact testimony, Candace Morrison, who collaborated with Koza at Tropic Bay Water Gardens, portrayed him as a generous entrepreneur whose kindness went far beyond his clients, theBaltimore Banner reports.

She informed the court that Koza often looked after customers’ fish when they were away without charging them, let individuals keep tropical plants in his greenhouse during the winter, and also took care of turtles waiting to be adopted from a local animal shelter.

“I think our purpose on Earth is to help others,” Morrison stated, referring to Koza as an individual who established a ‘magical environment’ through his efforts with rare plants and animals.

Read more