In the late afternoon sun of October 8, 2017, a dispute in a driveway in Kosciusko, Mississippi, turned fatal, ending the life of 29-year-old Orlando DeAndrae Malone. An unarmed Malone, a Black male, was at his home on County Road 1140 when he was shot once in the neck. The injury proved instantly fatal. The man responsible for the shooting was 28-year-old Kendrick Edwards.
Following the incident, which occurred at approximately 3:54 p.m., Edwards fled the scene. However, his freedom was short-lived as he surrendered to the Attala County Sheriff's Department later that same evening. The subsequent investigation and legal proceedings revealed a troubled motive behind the violent act. During a preliminary hearing in November 2017, it emerged that Edwards had claimed God had instructed him to commit the murder. This statement prompted the court to order a psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental competency.
Despite the initial concerns about his mental state, all parties eventually agreed that Edwards was fit to stand trial. The case moved forward, culminating in a plea deal in September 2019. Before Attala County Circuit Judge George Mitchell, Edwards pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. The district attorney’s office had determined the act was not premeditated. According to witness testimony, a disagreement between the two men had escalated, leading to Edwards pulling out a gun. In the struggle that ensued, Malone was shot.
Accepting the plea agreement, the court sentenced Kendrick Edwards to 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The resolution of the case aimed to provide justice for the death of Orlando Malone while taking into consideration the mental state of the man who caused it.
