In the winter of 2017, the life of 38-year-old Timothy Edwards was violently cut short during a home invasion in Covington, Tennessee. On the evening of January 19th, a group of five men descended upon his Douglas Street residence with the intent to rob him of drugs and money. Three of the men, Willie Somerville, armed with a 9mm pistol, Armoni Hall, carrying a 12-gauge shotgun, and Eddie Poindexter, forcibly entered the home by kicking in the door.
The other two, Christian Sherrill and Darrell Owens, remained in a getaway car nearby.
A struggle ensued between Edwards and Hall over the shotgun as soon as Hall entered the residence. During the altercation, Willie Somerville opened fire with his pistol, fatally shooting Edwards. In the chaos, Hall was also seriously injured by the gunfire. Edwards' wife, who was in another part of the house, managed to call 911. By the time police arrived, Timothy Edwards was dead. Hall was discovered a block away, lying in the street with gunshot wounds.
The ensuing investigation led to the arrests of all five men involved. In December 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Willie Somerville, Armoni Hall, Eddie Poindexter, Christian Sherrill, and Darrell Owens on charges including robbery affecting interstate commerce and the use of a firearm to cause death. Eventually, Hall and Owens both pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime. Following a week-long trial in March 2019, a federal jury convicted Somerville on all counts. Poindexter and Sherrill were also convicted of robbery and the use of a firearm during the robbery. For his actions, Willie Somerville was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 10 years. Armoni Hall received a sentence of 190 months, and Darrell Owens was sentenced to 96 months.
