In the early hours of a Tuesday morning, just five days before Christmas in 2016, the peace of a Newport News, Virginia home was shattered by the sound of breaking glass. Inside, 51-year-old Eduardo Hernandez Amezcua was fatally shot during what his family described as a home invasion. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on 31st Street, near West Avenue. When police officers arrived, they found Amezcua with life-threatening injuries.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his wounds.
The sudden and violent death of the man, known affectionately as 'Coach Ed' or 'Pastor Ed,' sent shockwaves through his community. Amezcua was a beloved youth pastor at Next Level Church, remembered by friends as someone who would go wherever there was a need and took care of things. His love for the children and people of his church was a testament to his character. In the wake of the tragedy, members of his church rallied around his wife, Amber, and their family, even helping to move their belongings out of the home where the traumatic event unfolded and setting up a PayPal account to assist with funeral costs.
The investigation into Amezcua's death led to the arrest of Monte Michael Stokes. During the trial, Amezcua's wife, Amber, testified that she was awakened by the sound of glass breaking and found her husband fighting with a stranger, later identified as Stokes. In the struggle, Amezcua was shot in the head in front of his wife.
In December 2018, a jury found Monte Michael Stokes, then 38, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Eduardo Hernandez Amezcua. Stokes' defense attorney argued that his client was not in his right mind at the time of the shooting. Court records showed that on the night of the incident, Stokes tested positive for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and a drug found in anti-anxiety medication. He was scheduled for sentencing in March of the following year. An earlier report had mentioned an arrest and charges of first-degree murder, burglary with intent to commit murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a felon, though the eventual conviction was for second-degree murder.
