St. Louis Man Sentenced to 30 Years for his Role in Two Drug-Related Homicides

            St. Louis, MO – Joe Moreland Edger, 43, of Saint Louis, MO, was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for his involvement in the December 16, 2014, murder of victim Erin Davis and the January 15, 2016, murder of victim Juanita Davis.  (The victims were not related.)  Sentencing occurred this morning in front of the Honorable Catherine D. Perry.

            According to court documents, Edger was an associate of a known drug-dealer, Dwane Taylor.  In late 2014, Taylor was robbed of, among other things, drugs and money.  Taylor sought retaliation for the robbery and recruited Edger to assist in those efforts.  Among other things, Edger assisted Taylor in identifying and locating the victims as well as transporting Taylor in a vehicle in connection with each murder.  Edger also provided Taylor with the nine-millimeter firearm used by Taylor to commit the murder of each victim.  In exchange, Edger received a .22 caliber firearm from Taylor. 

            Edger was convicted of and sentenced for conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

            Taylor was on state parole for a prior murder at the time of the murders of victims Erin Davis and Juanita Davis.  Taylor’s parole has been revoked by the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole as a result of these crimes.

            This case was investigated by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.