In the early hours of a Saturday morning in Camden, New Jersey, a young man's life was cut short. Michael Edwards, a 21-year-old male from Merchantville, was found unresponsive on the 400 block of Pfeifer Street shortly before 1 a.m. on January 11, 2020. He was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. First responders rushed him to Cooper University Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead a little over an hour later, at approximately 2:10 a.m.
The
investigation into the death of Michael Edwards led authorities to 22-year-old Anderson Diaz of Camden. According to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, the tragic incident began when Edwards slowed his vehicle to speak with two men on Pfeiffer Street. The interaction quickly escalated into a heated argument. As Edwards attempted to drive away from the confrontation, another man confronted him, and shots were fired from behind the car. Diaz was formally charged on January 23, 2020, with murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and certain persons not to have a weapon.
Crucial evidence in the investigation came from surveillance footage that captured a light-colored SUV leaving the scene. Investigators were able to track the vehicle to a location in Pennsauken. Further details emerged that Diaz had received a text message advising him to destroy evidence related to the shooting. The message instructed him to dispose of the clothing he was wearing and to wash his hands with bleach, soap, and water to remove any gunpowder residue. At the Pennsauken location, investigators discovered an orange hand towel that tested positive for gunpowder residue. Following his arrest, Anderson Diaz was held in the Camden County Jail pending a pretrial detention hearing on unrelated charges.
