PRINCETON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney David A. Pfeifer announced today that Cory Callen was convicted by a Mercer County jury of First-Degree Murder in connection with the January 4, 2024, shooting and killing of Leona Edwards.
Following the guilty verdict, the jury declined to recommend mercy, that is, the possibility of parole.
The trial was held before the Honorable Mark Wills in Mercer County Circuit Court. The State of West Virginia was represented by Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney David A. Pfeifer and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brandon L. Austin.
The case arose from the fatal shooting of Edwards on Gardner Loop Road in Mercer County. Edwards was shot multiple times after exiting her vehicle at the residence.
During closing arguments, Pfeifer addressed the defense’s criticism of individuals who cooperated with investigators, telling the jury:
“I don’t agree with [the defense] at all; There’s never anything wrong with cooperating with law enforcement especially when it means helping get justice for a victim.”
Pfeifer also reminded jurors of the tremendous burden carried by Edwards’ loved ones throughout the proceedings. Members of her family sat through the trial and, as Pfeifer told the jury, “had to endure the intimate details of her brutal murder.”
Edwards is survived and remembered by her family, including her three young children, whose lives were forever changed by her death.
Pfeifer said the verdict reflects the work of the investigators with the West Virginia State Police and their crime lab, witnesses, attorneys, victim advocates, and others who worked throughout the case to ensure the evidence could be presented to a Mercer County jury.
“We are grateful to the jurors who gave their time and careful attention to this case, to the law enforcement officers who investigated it, and to every brave witness who was willing to come forward and testify,” Pfeifer said.
“Most importantly, we remember Leona Edwards. A verdict cannot undo what happened or return Leona to the people who loved her, but we hope today’s verdict provides her family with some measure of justice, closure, and accountability.”
Under West Virginia law, a conviction for First-Degree Murder without a recommendation of mercy carries a sentence of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole. Formal sentencing will be conducted by the Circuit Court at a later date.
The Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office extends its appreciation to the West Virginia State Police, and all law enforcement personnel who assisted in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
