The trial of Pablo David Agosto Acevedo, 41, continued Feb. 4 with evidence of the victim’s identification.
Acevedo is charged with first-degree murder, four firearm violations and altering physical evidence in connection to the murder of Pedie Edwards II, 39. Edwards was fatally shot on Nov. 1, 2023, on the 600 block of N. Decker Avenue.
The prosecution offered a plea of 60 years and five years of probation for firearm use and a reduced charge of second-degree murder, but Acevedo rejected the offer.
New Jersey detectives responded to an investigation following a 911 call for a body found at a wooden structure in the Hackensack River. Detectives brought the body back to shore to uncover how long it had been there. Ultimately, it turned out to be Edwards.
Edwards’ body was recovered with the aid of search dogs, just outside New York City and over a month after the incident on Dec. 9, 2023. Fingerprints were used to identify him. An autopsy was conducted at the Essex County Medical Examiner’s Office, where his cause of death was determined to be a homicide.
Officers tracked Acevedo’s 2023 gray Nissan Altima to New York City’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, where it was found parked in the terminal 8 parking lot with its front and back license plates removed. Edwards’ body had been dumped along a direct route from the incident location to JFK Airport.
Defense attorney Mauricio E. Barreiro objected to photographic evidence of the crime scene shown by the prosecution, questioning its credibility and leading to a 30-minute pause in the hearing. The photos were later entered into evidence.
Following a call from a local sheriff’s office, a New Jersey investigation squad responded to the riverside to determine the nature of Edwards’ death.
The body, which was found with two gunshot wounds, was entered into an FBI-operated database, and officials worked to identify the victim through his tattoos and marks. A retired officer later identified the victim as Edwards through fingerprints taken during his autopsy.
A homicide detective was requested to pull evidence from the Royal Farms on the 1800 block of Washington Blvd. Video footage allegecly showed Acevedo walking with Edwards into the gas station together prior to the shooting.
Voicemails Acevedo had sent to his ex-girlfriend were also played before the court to establish their prior relationship. The jury was dismissed before the voicemails were shared. While the state claimed Edwards’ voice could be heard in some of the recordings, Acevedo’s ex-girlfriend testified she had not known the victim well enough to recognize his voice.
While Barreiro objected to the voicemails, as some were difficult to understand, Acevedo’s ex-girlfriend eventually admitted Edwards’ voice “has to be one of them,” noting “it was on my voicemail.”
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn Stewart Mays ultimately rejected two of the four voicemails from being entered into evidence, agreeing with Barreiro and finding the other two unsubstantial.
The trial remains underway.
