On August 16, 2013, four men, who later claimed they were bored, were driving down a country road in Duncan, Oklahoma. As they were driving one of the passengers fatally shot a jogger with a .22-caliber handgun. The jogger was 22-year-old Australian Christopher Lane, who was attending college in Oklahoma on a baseball scholarship. Lane was visiting his girlfriend in Duncan.
The last of the four defendants to go to trial, James Edwards, plead guilty to being an accessory to murder on Wednesday, September 9, 2015. Edwards claimed he was unaware of the intent to kill when he was picked up and was rolling a joint in the front seat at the time of the shooting. He was originally charged with murder, but the charges have now been reduced to accessory to murder after prosecutors found he only had minor participation. The driver and shooter, Michael Jones and Chancey Luna, are both serving life sentences for 2nd and 1st degree murder respectively. The other passenger, Oddesse Barnes, is serving 12 years for accessory to murder.
Edwards, who was 15 at the time of the murder, was facing 20 years in prison with an additional 20 years of probation, but instead accepted a deal to attend a prison boot camp in Alva, Oklahoma. Upon completion of the camp program the Stephens County District Judge Ken Graham will decide how much additional time Edwards will serve in traditional prison.
If you are involved in a murder case it’s important to know all of your options. In this case, Edwards took advantage of an option that will potentially allow him to serve less time. An experienced criminal defense attorney will be able to present you with all the options available and can help you decide the best option for you. Jacqui Ford has the necessary experience to guide you through the cumbersome legal process and will fight for you no matter what your situation is.
