The murder of Michael Poole, a 59-year-old Olcott resident, was calculated and driven by paranoia, District Attorney Kevin Finnell told jurors on Tuesday during opening statements in the trial of Edward A. "Eddie" Dunn, the man accused of killing Poole and leaving his body in bed of a pickup truck in the town of Alabama.
Dunn has denied the charges against him.
According to Finnell's account of events, Dunn shot Poole in the head after suspecting him of knowing too much about a string of burglaries allegedly committed by Dunn and his friend, Katherine “Kat” Henry.
Poole’s body was discovered on March 19, 2024, in Alabama in the bed of his own pickup truck, abandoned and buried under a pile of debris and towels.
“Michael deserved to die. Why? Because he was a man who knew too much,” Finnell said to the jury in his opening remarks.
He described the killing as an execution, saying Dunn, armed with a .22 caliber rifle, shot Poole multiple times before attempting to cover up the crime.
The prosecution highlighted the timeline of events leading to Poole’s death, claiming that Dunn and Henry had been staying with Norman "Bud" Dubois in Middleport while committing burglaries across the region.
On March 17, 2024, Henry allegedly called Poole for a ride for her and Dunn. They had known each other in the past. When they returned from scouting out a laundromat, the prosecution says, Dunn fatally shot Poole from the back seat of Poole’s truck.
Evidence recovered includes shell casings, the murder weapon found in a crawlspace at Dubois’ home, and a fingerprint linking Dunn to the rifle. The truck was located on March 18, and Poole’s body was later found inside.
The defense, led by attorney Casey Spencer, urged jurors to question the credibility of key witnesses, particularly Henry and Dubois, who she says are both unreliable due to their criminal histories and drug use.
“You will not find physical evidence to support the narrative that’s been presented,” Spencer said.
She stressed that Henry’s story changed only after she had been charged with second-degree murder. She also suggested that the evidence could have been tampered with in the three days that Henry and Dubois were alone in that house before a search warrant was issued.
The defense also cast doubt on the forensic value of the fingerprint that was found on the rifle, arguing that it cannot be said that was the last time that Dunn handled the weapon.
The case will resume Wednesday at 9:15 a.m., with further testimony from law enforcement, forensic experts, and key witnesses, including Henry and Dubois.
The trial is anticipated to last until June 20.
