Murder, carjacking suspect undergoing mental evaluation

Published 2:02 pm Wednesday, June 20, 2018

By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

BIRMINGHAM – A 20-year-old Birmingham man who has been charged with a 2015 armed robbery in Alabaster and the shooting death of a victim in Pratt City is undergoing a mental evaluation at a state facility, and is set to appear in court for a status call in mid-August, according to Jefferson County Circuit Court records.

Jamarlon Edwards

Jamarlon “Q-Dacious” Edwards, who lists an address on 42nd Street in Birmingham, last year was indicted on charges of capital murder, first-degree robbery, attempted murder and first-degree theft of property.

In late 2017, Judge Virginia Vinson ordered Edwards to undergo a forensic mental evaluation at the Taylor Hardin state mental health facility. Edwards was transferred from the Jefferson County Jail to Taylor Hardin in May.

On Nov. 23, 2015, the Alabaster Police Department charged Jamarlon Edwards with counts of first-degree robbery and first-degree theft of property tied to the Nov. 9, 2015, incident. APD also charged the suspect with counts of second-degree robbery and second-degree assault tied to a previous armed robbery of an elderly victim in Alabaster.

During the Alabaster carjacking, victim Tyler Parsons said two black males pulled up in a red 2005 Dodge Charger and began asking him about his car. Parsons said one of the males approached his car and began asking questions.

When he showed one of the men his keys, the suspect pulled a gun and stole Parsons’ vehicle, he said. According to the APD incident report, the suspects stole Parsons’ $30,000 vehicle, a $600 Glock pistol in the center console and a $700 iPhone. Parsons’ car was totaled in a police pursuit in Ensley the following day.

The Alabaster carjacking came a few days after the Birmingham Police Department said Edwards played a role in the Nov. 7 shooting death of a 27-year-old man.

According to Birmingham police, the shooting happened in Pratt City shortly before 4 p.m. on Nov. 7. During the incident, the victim, 27-year-old Justin Poole, was driving his Buick when he stopped in the roadway.

“A white Dodge Charger pulled up next to him and someone exited the Charger and fired several shots into the victim’s vehicle,” read a BPD press release. “According to witnesses, the victim tried to leave the location but ran into an abandoned house two blocks away. The Charger fled the scene in the opposite direction.”

Edwards is now scheduled to appear in court for a status call on Aug. 16, according to court documents.