Court upholds Muncie man's convictions for murder, criminal recklessness
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Indiana Court of Appeals this week upheld a Muncie man's convictions for murder and criminal recklessness.
A Delaware Circuit Court 5 jury in October 2022 found Armon D. Edwards, now 29, guilty of those charges stemming from the October 2018 slaying of Jordan Jarrell Rowe, a 28-year-old Muncie man.
The fatal shooting took place outside the Marathon convenience store in the 900 block of East Main Street.
Testimony indicated before he was fatally wounded, Rowe shot Edwards in the chest.
In sentencing Edwards to 50 years in prison at a hearing last March, Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. noted Rowe and his associates prior to the homicide subjected Edwards to" harassment" that included firing gunshots at the home of the defendant's grandmother.
More: Muncie man sentenced to 50 years for murder, recklessness
In an appeal, Edwards maintained statements he made to police officers should not have been admitted as evidence, and that evidence in the case was not sufficient to justify his convictions.
He also noted he had been given morphine and hydrocodone at the hospital before being questioned by detectives at City Hall.
In a 3-0 ruling released Tuesday, the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected those arguments.
While being treated for his gunshot wound, Edwards told a police officer he "knew I had to get (Rowe) before he got me," and described their "history of disputes."
In this week's ruling, Senior Judge Margret Robb wrote that the officer Edwards made those comments to had told the Muncie man "he could not ask any questions about the incident and said Edwards should speak with (a) detective about the case."
Edwards then "voluntarily explained his history of disputes with Rowe and described his assault on Rowe at the gas station, including the fatal shooting," the judge wrote.
The appeals panel also ruled prosecutors "presented sufficient evidence to rebut his claims of sell-defense beyond a reasonable doubt," saying Edwards "could have avoided interacting with Rowe" at the time of their fatal encounter.
Edwards, now incarcerated at the Pendleton Correctional Facility, has a projected release date in April 2056, according to a state Department of Correction website.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie man's murder conviction in 2018 shooting upheld by court
