Davidsonville, MD – A stolen Bass Pro Shops hat led to the arrest of two 18-year-olds, Jonah Michael Poole of Davidsonville and Kylee Alyssa Dakes of Harwood, charged with the murder of 67-year-old Edward Stephen Koza of Annapolis. The horrific crime, which occurred days before the couple’s high school graduation, involved binding Koza in his own car and setting it ablaze, police say.
On May 24, 2025, at 9:25 p.m., Anne Arundel County Police and Fire personnel responded to a vehicle fire in the parking lot of a commercial business at 600 West Central Avenue, Davidsonville. Firefighters extinguished the flames, revealing human remains inside the vehicle. The Anne Arundel County Fire & Explosives Investigations Unit and Criminal Investigations Division took over the case, classifying it as a suspicious death. The remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.
By May 31, the State Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, though the cause of death is still pending. Through investigative efforts, detectives identified Poole and Dakes as suspects. The couple was arrested at a residence in the unit block of Bethel Lane in Harwood and charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit murder, and arson.
On June 2, the victim was identified as Koza, a former employer of one of the suspects. Authorities revealed that the crime may have been sparked by a dispute involving a stolen Bass Pro Shops hat, though the exact motive remains under investigation.
The Anne Arundel County Police Homicide Unit continues to investigate and urges anyone with information to contact them at 410-222-4731. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP or online at https://metrocrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/.
