Md. man found in backseat of his burned-out pickup truck, charging docs detail

Two Anne Arundel County teenagers allegedly attacked the owner of a koi pond business in his Davidsonville, Maryland, store before burning him.

Jonah Michael Poole, 18, of Davidsonville, and Kylee Alyssa Dakes, 18, of Harwood were charged last Saturday in the death of Edward Koza, whose body was discovered on May 24.

According to charging documents, the suspects bound Koza’s arms, covered his mouth with tape, took him for a ride in his pickup truck, doused it with gasoline and set it on fire, with him in the backseat.

The Baltimore Banner reported a spokesman for Anne Arundel County police said Poole worked for a brief period of time last year at the victim’s koi pond business, Tropic Bay Water Gardens.

Detectives identified signs of a struggle inside Koza’s business, including broken items, blood and a pair of shoes on the ground, according to the charging documents. When the victim’s body was later discovered by police, he wasn’t wearing shoes.

Investigators believe the couple drove Koza’s truck to a gas station — with the victim inside the vehicle.

Surveillance video at the business appears to show Dakes buying $10 worth of gasoline, shortly before the truck was set on fire. Investigators found the melted spout of a plastic gas can inside the burned-out vehicle.

An acquaintance of Koza told police they saw a car, possibly a Lincoln, parked outside Koza’s business that day. Detectives learned Poole drove a red Lincoln sedan and discovered that license plate readers documented his car in the area of the killing around the time of the fire.

According to reporting by the Baltimore Banner, police are investigating a video circulating on social media that appears to show a partially-soaked paper towel draped out of the front driver’s side window of a pickup truck, with a male and female discussing setting the vehicle on fire. A male is seen raising a lighter to the paper towel.

Police documents have not disclosed a possible motive for the killing, and investigators are encouraging anyone with information to call detectives, at 410-222-4731.

Poole and Dakes are charged with first- and second- degree murder, conspiracy, assault and arson. During a hearing Monday, both were ordered to be held without bond until a June 25 preliminary hearing.

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