A western Kentucky man has pleaded guilty to murdering his 18-year-old cousin. 22-year-old Shaquille Edwards struck the plea agreement on murder and attempted murder charges two days before he was scheduled to trial to avoid the possibility of the death penalty if he had been convicted.
Commonwealth Attorney Mike Stacy said Wednesday that Edwards admitted to fatally shooting Theresa Hughes and wounding his former girlfriend Caitlin L. Houston Stacy's office recommended a life sentence for the murder charge and a 20-year sentence for attempted murder. It will be up to Circuit Judge Tim Langford to decide whether those sentences should be served concurrently or consecutively. The shootings occurred on Feb. 2 after an altercation in La Center, about 20 miles west of Paducah.
