Two 19-year-olds plead to lesser charges in Cedar Rapids burglary that turned fatal

CEDAR RAPIDS - Two 19-year-old men pleaded Thursday to charges involving a burglary that ended in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old woman in 2018.

Allen W. Miller, of Marion, and James Jenkins, in a joint hearing, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a forcible felony.

Both admitted they planned, along with Kyler Junkins, 20, of Marion, to break into the home of AnnaElise Edgeton and her husband, John Maskewit-Edgeton, at the Shamrock Apartments, 316 Jacolyn Dr. SW, on Jan. 13, 2018, to steal drugs and money.

Court documents showed police found the apartment was broken into, and officers found Edgeton, a 2015 Metro High graduate and certified nursing assistant, dead on the living room floor with a gunshot wound to her upper chest.

Miller said he was driving the car but didn't enter the apartment.

Jenkins admitted to entering the apartment with Junkins.

They also admitted to knowing Edgeton was in the apartment and that she was shot by Junkins during the burglary. 

Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter said the two received lesser charges because of their cooperation and testimony against Junkins.

The plea agreement didn't include sentencing. So Slaughter said she is free to ask for prison time for the men.

The defense attorneys also could ask for suspended sentences.

Sixth Judicial District Senior Judge Robert Sosalla told Jenkins and Miller that each faces up to 10 years in prison, fines and possibly restitution.

Junkins was convicted of second-degree murder in Edgeton's death and is serving up to 50 years in prison.

Junkins also was convicted of second-degree burglary in another case, and that 10 year sentence was run concurrently to the murder term. The state court sentences were run consecutively to his 12-year sentence on federal firearms and drug convictions.

A search warrant showed Edgeton's parents told police their son-in-law was a drug dealer and they felt his drug activities contributed to their daughter's death. Maskewit-Edgeton admitted to investigators he dealt drugs and also used marijuana and Xanax.

Investigators, in court documents, interviewed another man who said Junkins had made comments about robbing Maskewit-Edgeton and shooting a woman during the robbery.

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