Teen charged in killing of Wichita couple to be tried as adult

A Wichita teen who will be tried as an adult in the double killing of a couple at their home in October now faces a heftier sentence if he’s convicted.

Had he been charged as a juvenile and convicted, Carlos Delacadena-Edwards would have been eligible for release from custody by the time he turned 22 1/2 years of age.

But once he is formally charged as an adult later this month, a first-degree murder conviction could bring a life sentence. Delacadena-Edwards is charged in the deaths of Godofredo and Martha Moreno.

Sedgwick County juvenile court Judge Robb Rumsey on Wednesday granted a motion for adult prosecution for Delacadena-Edwards, who faces two counts of first-degree felony murder and one count of aggravated robbery in the shootings of the couple at their house in the 600 block of South Ida.

According to a police affidavit released in the case, Delacadena-Edwards was 17 when he admitted going to the house with Steven Wade Edwards II to rob the couple’s son of money or a vehicle. The Morenos were found dead in a bedroom by their son Oct. 16.

The police affidavit alleges Edwards shot the couple multiple times while Delacadena-Edwards waited in the living room with a BB gun. Edwards then came out of the bedroom with a set of keys and left in the Morenos’ 2005 Kia Sorento, which was found burned in a rural area of the county several hours later.

Delacadena-Edwards told police he walked home after the robbery and killings, according to the affidavit.

Godofredo Moreno was 72; his wife was 71. Edwards, 20, is charged with capital murder and other criminal counts in their killings.

Delacadena-Edwards, now 18, is scheduled to first appear in Sedgwick County District Court on the adult charges April 23, said Dan Dillon, spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

It’s likely the teen will face the same counts as an adult, said Marc Bennett, the district attorney. If convicted of first-degree felony murder and sentenced to life, the teen would not be eligible for parole for the first time for at least 20 years.

Delacadena-Edwards’ attorney could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Delacadena-Edwards was being held in Sedgwick County Jail on Thursday evening, online jail records show. There was no bond amount listed.

Family members of the teen have told The Eagle he didn’t pull the trigger. Authorities arrested him Oct. 20 in south Wichita.

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Teen charged in killing of Wichita couple to be tried as adult."