Teen Pleads Guilty to Murdering Business Owner

A 19-year-old man, Jonah Michael Poole, has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the brutal murder of Edward Stephen Koza, owner of Tropic Bay Water Gardens. In May 2025, Koza was found dead in his own burned-out pickup truck after being bound, gagged, and forced into the vehicle before being doused in gasoline and set ablaze. Poole, who had briefly worked for Koza, pleaded guilty in March and is also responsible for spray-painting a swastika on a school and stealing $11,000 from a dock bar where his girlfriend, Kylee Dakes, worked. Surveillance footage showed Dakes buying $10 worth of gasoline before the fire, and investigators found melted plastic from a gas can. Poole must pay $215,000 in restitution and forfeit a $15,000 truck bought with stolen money, all going to Koza’s estate. Dakes, also 19, faces trial in December for first-degree murder. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/453bc2a5c66d5ccb