Two of the three men charged in connection to the murder last month of a Waycross man have homicide charges in their pasts.
Willie Daquan Edwards, 27, and Keitric Trevon McCaskey, 31, are facing or have faced other murder charges. Those two, along with Alex Jamal Taylor, 28, are currently in the Ware County Jail charged with the November 29 death of Lawrence Eugene Woods, 35.
Authorities in Nahunta learned after an April 10, 2025, traffic stop for speeding, Edwards was wanted for murder, home invasion and two counts of party to a crime last year in Brooks County (Quitman). He was held in the Brantley County Jail for Brooks County authorities.
Capt. Trent Gibbs, Commander of the Waycross Police Department’s Special Operations Unit, said Friday, December 12 Edwards was out on bond at the time of the death of Woods.
McCaskey was charged with murder in the death of an Alma man nearly a decade ago, Bacon County court records show.
He was charged with three felony counts in the June 18, 2016 death of Tony Overstreet Jr., 30 of Alma. The suspect was among five people charged in the homicide.
The case against Mc-Caskey was dismissed for insufficient evidence October 30, 2018 by Assistant District Attorney Ian Sansott of the Waycross Judicial Circuit, a spokesperson in the Bacon County Clerk of Courts office said Monday.
McCaskey, 21 at the time of Overstreet’s death, had been charged with one count each of felony murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Taylor was arrested in the early morning hours of November 30 while Edwards was apprehended Monday, December 1, Gibbs said. McCaskey was arrested December 10.
Edwards
McCaskey
Taylor
WPD officers answered a call around 9:30 p.m. November 29 for a possible shooting in the 1200 block of Isabella Street. Upon arrival, officers found a man later identified as Woods suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
The officers called Ware EMS and provided emergency care until their arrival. EMS personnel assumed care of the victim and transported him to the hospital’s emergency room where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Capt. Gibbs said authorities arrested Taylor at his residence in the 300 block of Garlington Avenue just a few hours after the incident. He said WPD had earlier received a call from Taylor that he’d heard gunshots in the area where Woods was found.
Capt. Gibbs said investigators quickly discerned Taylor was likely involved in the incident and made the arrest shortly after midnight.
Edwards was arrested the following day about 5 p.m., in the 300 block of Garlington when WPD Patrol Officers responded to a call of an altercation in the area and the suspect was there, Capt. Gibbs said.
McCaskey was apprehended about 8:30 a.m., by investigators, who had a residence near Perham and Isabella streets under surveillance. The suspect was arrested when he left the residence and attempted to get into a vehicle, Capt. Gibbs said.
Each of the men could face additional charges, he said, adding the weapon used in the homicide has yet to be recovered.
