Man, 20, faces capital murder charge in South Ida homicides

Steven Wade Edwards II closed his eyes as he listened to the lengthy list of charges filed against him Wednesday morning in Sedgwick County District Court:

Capital murder.

Two counts of first-degree murder in the alternative to capital murder.

Aggravated burglary.

Two counts of theft.

Burglary.

Criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Edwards, 20, is accused of killing Martha Lopez Moreno and Godofredo Moreno-Lopez on Oct. 16 in the couple’s home in the 600 block of South Ida. Because more than one person was killed in the crime, Edwards could face the death penalty.

After the short hearing, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said he did not know yet whether he would seek the death penalty against Edwards.

Court records indicate Edwards is also accused of stealing liquor, watches and a handgun from a victim identified by his initials.

Judge Joe Kisner set Edwards’ bond at $1 million.

A 17-year-old arrested in connection with the killings of the Wichita couple has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated robbery, court records show. As of now, he is being charged as a juvenile; he will turn 18 in January, according to records.

Bennett said he did not know yet whether the 17-year-old would be tried as an adult.

The Morenos’ son found their bodies on a bedroom floor of their home in the 600 block of South Ida, just southeast of Kellogg and Washington. Police said they had been shot multiple times and that the motive was robbery. Godofredo Moreno was 72; Martha Moreno was 71.

The robbery charge against the 17-year-old accuses him of using a handgun to rob the couple of the SUV, which police said was found on fire in a field in southwest Sedgwick County about five hours after the bodies were discovered.

Up until Wednesday’s hearing, Edwards had been jailed on a warrant accusing him of violating his probation by being seen on video driving the couple’s stolen Kia Sorento at 1:19 a.m. Oct. 16, about nine hours before the discovery of the couple’s bodies was reported to police.

The warrant also accuses him of violating his probation for a 2013 robbery by having a stolen cellphone on Oct. 16 and admitting during an Oct. 20 interview with police that he drank half of a Bud Light on the date of the killings.

Edwards’ preliminary hearing in the death of the Morenos was set for Dec. 10, but Bennett said it would be “months” before the hearing takes place.

In a financial affidavit filled out for the court, Edwards indicated he had been unemployed for two years but had not filed to receive unemployment benefits.

This story was originally published November 26, 2014 at 6:54 AM with the headline "Man, 20, faces capital murder charge in South Ida homicides."