A 19-year-old Davidsonville man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2025 killing of the owner of Tropic Bay Water Gardens, closing out what many in the local business community saw as one of the most shocking crimes to hit West Central Avenue last year. Yesterday, the judge approved a plea deal that keeps the possibility of parole on the table and orders the defendant to forfeit money prosecutors say was taken from the victim.
Jonah Michael Poole received a life term in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court after admitting his role in the May 24, 2025, death of 67-year-old Stephen Koza. Court officials said the plea agreement required Poole to give up cash tied to the case while leaving him eligible for parole. According to CBS Baltimore, the judge imposed the life sentence under those terms.
How Investigators Say It Unfolded
Anne Arundel County police say Koza was attacked around closing time at Tropic Bay, then bound and placed in the back of his pickup. Firefighters later found the truck engulfed in flames in the store parking lot and discovered his body after the fire was extinguished. Inside the shop, officers reported signs of a struggle and evidence consistent with an assault and kidnapping, details that were outlined by WBAL.
Evidence And Charges
Poole and his then-girlfriend, 19-year-old Kylee Alyssa Dakes, were arrested weeks after the fire and charged with murder, arson and related offenses. Prosecutors say surveillance video, cell phone location data and additional footage placed the pair together, and court papers indicate investigators recovered a gas can, a knife and other items they link to the crime. Reporting in The Baltimore Banner also notes that Poole briefly worked for Koza in 2024 and that messages recovered by prosecutors referenced the victim afterward.
Legal Notes
Poole entered his guilty plea in March, and the June 26 hearing finalized the terms negotiated by prosecutors and the defense. His co-defendant, Dakes, remains charged. Her case has seen scheduling changes after defense counsel raised psychiatric evaluations and potential expert testimony, according to Eye On Annapolis. First-degree murder in Maryland carries a possible life sentence, a point highlighted in pretrial coverage of the case, according to WTOP.
Neighbors and longtime customers say the killing left the small business community rattled. Koza had run Tropic Bay for years, and the storefront on West Central Avenue is a familiar stop for pond and water-garden supplies. The store lists its address as 600 W Central Ave, Davidsonville, MD 21035 in local directories. The case has also prompted renewed appeals for anyone with information to contact authorities as the county investigation and related prosecutions continue. For original reporting and additional court details, see Patch and CBS Baltimore.
