Maryland business owner's home burglarized days before his murder, police say
Edward Stephen Koza, the owner of an aquatic garden business in Maryland, reported that his home was broken into less than two weeks before his murder, according to police.
Koza, 67, was found tied up and burned in his pickup truck on May 24, Anne Arundel County police said. Two 18-year-olds – Jonah Poole and Kylee Dakes – are facing murder, assault, and arson charges related to his death.
According to police, Koza reported that someone stole an undisclosed amount of cash from his home on Spring Race Court in Annapolis on May 12.
Owner of Davidsonville store
In 2024, Poole briefly worked for Koza at Tropic Bay Aquatic Garden Center in Davidsonville, police confirmed.
A neighbor told WJZ that Koza may have been struggling in the weeks leading up to his death.
"He was a pretty good neighbor, I know he suffered depression several times," the neighbor said.
Police said they cannot release any specific details about the burglary due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Video of possible Davidsonville murder suspect
A video circulating on social media appears to show a suspect who fits Poole's description setting fire to a truck that is described in charging documents as Koza's. Police are working to authenticate it as part of their homicide investigation.
According to police, Koza was attacked around closing time inside the Tropic Bay Aquatic Center. He was tied up, placed in the back of the pickup truck, driven to a gas station, and back to the parking lot, and was set on fire.
"I was shocked," Koza's neighbor said.
Davidsonville murder suspects
WJZ learned that Dakes' last day at her job at Pirates Cove restaurant in Galesville was on May 13, the day after Koza's home was burglarized.
Poole allegedly burglarized Pirates Cove on May 18 and caused about $6,000 in damage and stole more than $11,000 from a safe, according to charging documents. Koza was found dead in his burned truck on May 24, and the suspects were arrested on May 31.
Charging documents also revealed that Dakes and Poole were a couple and were scheduled to graduate from Southern High School in June.
An Anne Arundel County Public Schools' newsletter that celebrates AVID seniors said Dakes was planning to attend Notre Dame of Maryland to study radiology and had received more than $200,000 in scholarships.
