Man pleads guilty in connection with Pawling Avenue murder
TROY, N.Y. » Rensselaer County District Mary Pat Donnelly announced Wednesday that Rashad Edwards, 36, of Troy, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of criminal possession of a weapon, admitting to the entire indictment in the January 2019 stabbing death of Brianna Haughton.
Edwards, who was released on parole in connection with a previous charge, was arrested following an investigation into the death of Haughton. Haughton’s body was found on Jan. 14, 2019, at 491 Pawling Avenue, in Troy, after a welfare check by the Troy Police Department. An extensive probe revealed that Edwards had repeatedly stabbed Haughton in the presence of their infant child.
Edwards was indicted on two charges, felony second-degree murder and felony thirddegree criminal possession of a weapon.
On March 3, Edwards pleaded guilty to the entire indictment. It is anticipated that Rensselaer County Court Judge Jennifer G. Sober will sentence the Edwards to an indeterminate sentence, the maximum term of which will be life in State Prison, on March 31, 2021.
“This guilty plea ensures that Rashad Edwards is imprisoned for murdering this young mother and will hopefully bring some peace to her family,” Donnelly stated.
“We thank the officers of the Troy Police Department, especially Detective Sergeant Thomas Feeley and Detective William Bowles, who worked diligently with the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center as well as NYS Parole to secure the arrest of Rashad Edwards. These agencies, and in particular these officers, worked around the clock in order to seek justice and bring closure to the family of Brianna Haughton. This result would not have been possible without their efforts,” Donnelly added.