Prosecutors: Accused killer was ‘controlling’
A Maryland man accused of fatally shooting his exgirlfriend at her Lower Moreland home had “a history of controlling and jealous behavior and physical abuse” and prosecutors want a jury to hear about it, according to court papers.
Montgomery County prosecutors have asked a judge to allow them to present to a jury evidence of accused killer William Tomas Torres’ alleged “other crimes, wrongs and acts” leading up to the Nov. 25, 2019, fatal shooting of Jeanne Edwards.
In court papers, prosecutors Brianna Ringwood and Matthew Brittenburg argued the evidence should be admissible to show Torres’ alleged “motive, intent, illwill and malice.”
“Evidence of the couple’s turbulent, deteriorating relationship un
ambiguously demonstrates the defendant’s motive for killing Ms. Edwards. From this evidence, a jury could conclude that Ms. Edwards’ murder grew out of or was caused by the defendant’s sense of entitlement, betrayal and loss of power and control in the relationship,” Ringwood and Brittenburg wrote, maintaining the evidence is essential for a jury to fully understand why the crime was committed.
Specifically, prosecutors want to present testimony and evidence including: observations of Edwards’ family and friends that Torres was controlling and jealous during the relationship that began in June 2018; evidence of an alleged Sept. 22, 2019, physical altercation between the couple at Torres’ Elkton, Md., residence; and Torres’ “history of controlling and jealous behavior and physical abuse in his relationship with his ex-wife, including his reaction to her attempts to leave him and end the relationship.”
Court papers indicate that during the course of the investigation, detectives spoke with Torres’ ex-wife, adult children and several of his past and present girlfriends.
Defense lawyer Carrie Lynn Allman likely will challenge the request and will have a chance to respond to the prosecutors’ request when Judge Cheryl L. Austin holds a hearing on the matter later this year.
Torres, 62, of Elkton, Md., is awaiting trial on charges of first- and third-degree murder, simple assault, possession of a weapon and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the alleged fatal shooting of Edwards, 57. His trial is tentatively slated to begin in November.
During the alleged Sept. 22 altercation, Maryland police responded to Torres’ home where Edwards reported Torres physically restrained her to prevent her from leaving and tore her dress. Torres, who appeared intoxicated and allegedly gave police conflicting accounts of his actions, subsequently was charged with assault by Maryland authorities, court papers indicate.
On Oct. 29, Torres tried to purchase a firearm from a firearms dealer in Havre de Grace, Md., but “was informed he could not purchase the firearm right away and that he had to wait,” according to court papers.
Torres’ trial in connection with the Sept. 22 incident occurred on Nov. 18, 2019, in Cecil County District Court in Maryland. Edwards testified during the trial at which Torres represented himself.
Torres was acquitted of the assault-related charge, the Maryland court apparently finding that prosecutors failed to provide evidence to support the charge, court papers revealed.
Several days after being acquitted, Torres, on Nov. 25, successfully purchased a Winchester brand pumpaction shotgun and ammunition from the Havre de Grace firearms dealers. After purchasing the weapon, Torres allegedly drove to Edwards’ Dale Road home in Lower Moreland where he fatally shot Edwards.
Ringwood and Brittenburg argued the evidence demonstrates Torres was growing “increasingly hostile” toward Edwards and that his animosity manifested itself in the alleged events of Sept. 22 and culminated in her murder. Additionally, prosecutors argued, the evidence shows Torres had the specific intent required for the firstdegree murder charge and that the crime was “deliberate and premeditated.”
“The events leading up to the murder are vital evidence that tends to exclude the possibility that Jeanne Edwards’ death resulted from an accident or mistake, as the defendant claimed in his statement to police. Such evidence also excludes the possibility that this was an act committed in the heat of passion,” Ringwood and Brittenburg wrote.
A conviction of first-degree murder is punishable of life imprisonment. Thirddegree murder, a killing committed with malice, is punishable by a maximum of 20 to 40 years in prison.
The local investigation began about 5:24 p.m. Nov. 25 when Lower Moreland police responded to Edwards’ residence in the 2300 block of Dale Road for a report of a shooting. Arriving officers found Edwards suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, and she was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Edwards’ son told authorities he arrived home from work and heard a “pop” as he pulled into the driveway, according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective Gregory Henry and Lower Moreland Detective Holly Halota.
When he entered the house, the victim’s son saw Torres, who he knew as his mother’s ex-boyfriend, standing in the doorway pointing a shotgun at him, according to the arrest affidavit.
“Torres told (the victim’s son) that his mother ruined his life. Torres then fled the house and (the victim’s son) called 911,” Henry and Halota wrote in the criminal complaint.
Limerick Township police arrested Torres a short time later at a private residence in that township.
A woman who resided at the Limerick residence told detectives she knew Torres for about a month and was dating him, according to court papers. The woman said Torres arrived at her home about 6:30 p.m. and said, “I need to tell you something,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Torres allegedly told the Limerick woman that he purchased a shotgun that day and drove to the home of his ex-girlfriend.
“Torres said he then shot his ex-girlfriend twice and was unsure if she ‘made it,’ ” detectives alleged in court papers.
The Limerick woman contacted township police, who observed a shotgun in Torres’ 2016 Mercedes Benz.
During an autopsy, a forensic pathologist recovered shotgun pellets from the body of Edwards. The autopsy determined Edwards died as a result of multiple shotgun wounds to the torso, according to the criminal complaint.