At first glance, Tyler Edmonds appears to be like any other young man in his early 20s; he’s physically fit, with a slender frame; he’s affable, intelligent and well spoken. His bright blue eyes are full of life and he smiles nervously, when he’s both happy and uncomfortable. But the past nine years of his life have been anything but ordinary, as he went from being a go-cart riding junior high student in West Point to a convicted killer to an acquitted free man, who now has opened a business in Columbus.
Edmonds, who will be 23 in June, was 13 years old when he was charged with murdering his brother-in-law Joey Fulgham, during a Mother’s Day weekend shooting in 2003. Fulgham died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Edmonds and his half-sister, Kristi Fulgham, were charged with murder after Edmonds told police he and Kristi Fulgham walked into Joey Fulgham’s bedroom, while the man slept, and pulled the trigger.
Edmonds initially told investigators he held a .22-caliber rifle, while Kristi Fulgham put her arms around him and they both fired the fatal shot. Edmonds then recanted his story, claiming he was outside Joey Fulgham’s house at the time of the shooting. Both were found guilty of Joey Fulgham’s murder in 2004.
“It was terrifying,” Edmonds said of his conviction and subsequent prison sentence. “I was in the Oktibbeha County Jail for a while and then I was transferred to (Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility). Again, it was terrifying. You’re young and out there with people you don’t know and you are forced to live with them. Some of them were violent and some were not. Some were nice and some were not.”
Making the most of his time while incarcerated, Edmonds received his high school diploma and started taking college classes. He said his faith and his family carried him through the four years he was imprisoned.
“We weren’t allowed phone calls everyday, but (Edmond’s attorney Jim Waide) called me when he could and I spoke to my mom (Sharon Clay) whenever I could,” said Edmonds. “My mom was there for every visitation except for two and one of those times she had a car accident. People I didn’t even know from all over the country reached out to me and sent me letters. I’m still friends with some of them today. My faith grew stronger through this experience. It’s amazing what faith and the human spirit can do.”
A Man Acquitted
Waide started a zealous crusade to have the teen acquitted, proclaiming he was innocent from Oktibbeha County Circuit Court to the Mississippi Supreme Court. Waide’s tenacity paid off when the state’s highest court overturned the conviction and granted Edmonds a new trial. He was acquitted by a jury in 2008 and began his new life as a free man.
“It was a great feeling, knowing that I was acquitted,” Edmonds said. “I was more relieved than anything. But being released was tough. I went from being a kid whose parents told me what to do to being in a controlled environment and having people tell me what to do. When I was on bail before (the second) trial, I was limited to where I could go. Then suddenly, I was acquitted and released. It was a tough transition. I would go out and people would spot me and know who I was and make comments. I wasn’t really treated negatively, but I couldn’t go anywhere. It seemed liked everyone knew me as ‘Tyler from TV’ and not a lot of people took the time to get to know who I am.”
Edmonds’ case received media coverage, both locally and nationally, with his second trial airing on Court TV. He and his family were the subjects of headlines in both print and television media. Today, he said he has mixed feelings about the media.
“I feel like the media covered me about 50-50,” he said. “About 50 percent of it was accurate and about 50 percent of it vilified me. Some of it was just not accurate. Even after I was released, I saw a headline that said ‘Teen Killer Tyler Edmonds Acquitted of Murder.’ It was tough being called a murderer or a killer. But I really couldn’t do anything about it. Four years later, I’m not bitter. I’m more angry that it doesn’t seem like it mattered to anyone and there hasn’t been any real efforts to change the (legal) policies and procedures.”
No Resentments
Upon his release, Edmonds graduated as an emergency medical technician from East Mississippi Community College in Mayhew. He later decided to move to Yuma, Arizona, after taking a job with the U.S. Department of Defense. In December 2010, a suit against Oktibbeha County filed by Edmonds and his mother was dismissed. He said the dismissal is being appealed by Waide.
Although he had been a free man for almost three years and was living out of the state, Edmonds once again made the media as he was one of the subjects of a controversial letter written by Lowndes County District Attorney Forrest Allgood.
In July 2011 Allgood, whose office prosecuted Edmonds, wrote a letter to The Commercial Dispatch in response to an internet blog post attacking Allgood’s character. In his response, Allgood stated: “In an apparent reference to Tyler Edmonds, I am accused of prosecuting children as adults. That much, at least, is true. And so has every other (district attorney) in the state. Enclosed is a copy of Section 43-21-151 of the Mississippi Code. That Statute mandates that every child over the age of 13 be sent to Circuit Court, if he commits a crime for which the punishment is life. Murder is one of those crimes. Consequently, every child over 13 who is charged with murder goes to Circuit Court and gets treated as an adult, no matter who the (district attorney) may be. It’s the law of the state. In that same case, I’m supposed to have manufactured ‘ridiculous theories’ of murder by claiming that two people held a gun and shot the victim. That’s a lie. That ‘theory’ actually came out of the mouth of Tyler Edmonds in his video-taped confession that was played in front of the open court.”
The letter angered Edmonds, who said he spent a great deal of time writing his response.
“I don’t resent (Allgood), but I think there are people who could do his job better than he does,” Edmonds said. “I felt he said some things that, while they weren’t necessarily false, they also weren’t the entire truth. People make mistakes, but his mistake affected the lives of a lot of people. I think over the years, he has gotten into a pattern of repetition in seeking convictions. I have never gotten an apology from him and I don’t think I ever will. I don’t hate Forrest Allgood, I just don’t have anything for him.”
A New Life
After being diagnosed with leg cancer, Edmonds decided to move back to Columbus to be closer to his family. He is now cancer free and is a co-owner of Simply Tobacco in the Littlewoods Shopping Center. Carl Hogan, of Carl Hogan Honda, is a co-owner. Nowadays, he divides his time between work, friends and spending time outdoors. He also spends time with his family. But his relationship with one family member remains shattered.
Kristi Fulgham initially was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death on Dec. 9, 2006 for the death of Joey Fulgham. She sat on death row while her case was under appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court upheld her conviction but ordered a new sentencing hearing. In November 2010, she appeared before Circuit Court Judge Lee Howard to be sentenced once again. Pursuant to the wishes of the victim’s family, the state ordered a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
“I think her sentencing was appropriate,” Edmonds said, contemplating the last nine years of his life. “I don’t believe in the death penalty; it doesn’t make sense to me. For what Kristi’s done and for all of the people she’s hurt, I think this is better than the death penalty. She has to think about what she’s done, everyday, for the rest of her life.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
