Suspect in brutal murder heading to trial

The trial of an 18-year-old Grain Valley man accused of stabbing his friend’s mother to death is scheduled to begin next week.

Edward George, 18, of Grain Valley, is scheduled to go on trial before Judge W. Stephen Nixon, 16th Judicial Circuit Court, on Tuesday.

Out of 106 prospective jurors, approximately 60 people are scheduled to be interviewed by Nixon and attorneys on Monday. Opening arguments are expected to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Independence court building.

George and Taylor Marquez, 18, also of Grain Valley, are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Pamela Marquez, Taylor’s mother. In addition to the first- degree murder charge, both men face additional charges, including two counts of armed criminal action, first-degree assault and stealing a motor vehicle.

George has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are seeking a life in prison sentence.

The incident, which occurred at the Marquez home on July 14, 2006, has attracted national attention because of the severity of the crime and the ages of those involved. Both of the accused were juveniles at the time, and prosecutors argued during a November 2006 hearing that George was competent enough to know what he was doing and should be tried as an adult.

Police allege that Pamela Marquez was stabbed seven times at her home on July 14. Her husband, Joe, Taylor’s adoptive father and a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City, found her body in a pool of blood in their bedroom. Before the discovery, Joe told Grain Valley Police Department Captain Terry Ford, George grabbed the elder Marquez by the throat and cut him on the neck.

Grain Valley police said several bloodied knives were found throughout the house and one outside the house.

George and Marquez allegedly  fled the home, driving the family car to Wheat Ridge, Colo., where they were arrested on July 18.

A trial for Marquez is scheduled for August, but Mary Jacobi, public information officer for the 16th Circuit Court, said that may change depending on the outcome of George’s trial.

“(The George trial) is the most spectacular of the two,” Jacobi said. “What happens with this trial may decide what happens with Taylor Marquez.”

Kimberly Adams, Deputy Parole Office with Clay County Family Court, recommended in November 2006 that George be tried as an adult. She based her recommendation on interviews with relatives, as well as reviews of his criminal and educational files.

Adams said George suffers from attention deficit disorder, has used marijuana, got caught shoplifting and had discipline problems in school.

Grain Valley Police Chief Aaron Ambrose said the incident still lingers in Grain Valley.

“It was pretty horrific what happened,” he said.