Teen Found Guilty In Grain Valley Slaying

A Jackson County jury found a teen guilty on Thursday in the July 2006 slaying of a Grain Valley woman.

KMBC's Maria Antonia reported that Edward George, 18, was found guilty on four counts of first-degree murder, assault and armed criminal action in the stabbing death of Pamela Marquez.

The victim's husband, Joe Marquez, was also attacked and suffered cuts on his throat and lip.

George's parents wiped away tears when the guilty verdict was read, Antonia reported. They left the courthouse without making any comment.

George was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

George claims it was the couple's son, Taylor, who wanted his parents killed. Taylor Marquez is also charged with murder and is expected to go on trial this summer.

"Honestly, I think he deserves it. He did a bad thing," said Cheyenne Hibdon, a friend of George.

"I had gym class with Eddie. It was unbelievable -- after I heard what happened, I just broke down. I cried, 'No, not my friends,'" said Rachel Larson, a friend of George. "It's hard. I want to give him a hug, I want to give his family a hug, but I haven't been able to speak to him."

Wednesday, Joe Marquez took the stand and described how he had been in the basement of his home when he was attacked by George.

After Marquez fought off the teen, he went upstairs and found his wife bleeding from stab wounds.

"I walked into my bedroom, and I looked to my right, and I see my wife lying on her back," Marquez testified while fighting back tears. "She has her eyes half open, her arms are to her side. I run over to her, and she's wearing pajama pants and a light blue shirt, and I see it's soaked in blood. So I pull up her shirt and I see that she's been stabbed."

Jurors also saw a videotape of George telling detectives exactly how it happened.

"She got up, took (her) covers off, I ran over to her and stabbed her -- She was on all fours and I kicked her," George said on the videotape.

George and Taylor Marquez were arrested in Colorado a few days after the attacks. The two were both 16 at the time and have been held without bond since the slaying.

Prosecutors said the plan was to kill both Joe and Pamela Marquez, but Joe survived.

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