Trial begins in 2022 shooting

The trial of a 49-year-old Millsboro man facing first-degree murder charges for shooting and killing a man at Coastal Taproom near Rehoboth Beach in February 2022 got underway Oct. 14 in Delaware Superior Court.

Prosecutors say Edward Martin shot and killed 41-year-old Arrick Richards after the two men had a brief verbal altercation during a game of pool. Martin’s defense is that he saw another patron in the bar with a gun, who had been talking to Richards earlier, and acted out of self-defense. To prove first-degree murder in Delaware, a person must be determined to have acted intentionally or recklessly in causing the death of another person. 

After jury selection and opening statements Oct. 14, the prosecution, led by Deputy Attorneys General Martin Cosgrove and Amanda Nyman, began its case Oct. 15 by calling the main eyewitnesses to the case and laying out the timeline of events. 

While the various witnesses differed on the exact time things took place, the general outline of events is that after 12 a.m., Feb. 20, 2022, Richards and his wife, Laci, and her mother, Vicki Orris, arrived at Coastal Taproom for a brief nightcap before last call. They met Laci’s friend, Jordyn Harris, and her then-boyfriend, Rico Stringfellow. The Richardses had just put their three kids to bed and had only planned to stay out for a short time. 

The group ordered drinks and sat at a high-top table. Arrick Richards and Stringfellow decided they wanted to play a game of pool. Playing at that time were Martin and his wife, Christie. 

During the Martins’ game, Richards remarked about the gloves and personal pool cues the Martins had brought in. Bar staff who testified said they did not notice any escalation of hostilities. Stringfellow and Laci Richards both said they could feel a tension developing between the two men.

After Richards chirped at Martin about if he was going to make a shot, Laci Richards and Stringfellow said Martin remarked, “If I don’t, am I a bitch?” Stringfellow, who was between the two men, testified that Richards shrugged his shoulders and said “I guess so?” Laci testified that she tried to convince her husband to leave and she headed for the door until coming back when she saw Christie Martin talking to Arrick. 

The main evidence in the prosecution’s case is the surveillance video of the shooting. On the video, Martin, wearing a white baseball cap, can be seen talking to Richards with Stringfellow between them. Suddenly, Martin pulls a gun and shoots Richards in the chest. As people rush toward Richards, Martin leaves out the front door.

Stringfellow said he helped lay Richards on the ground as Laci rushed to his side. Stringfellow said Richards could be heard saying, “I got shot, baby. I got shot.” Laci testified that as her husband was lying on the ground, she told him he was going to be OK and that she loved him. She said his last words to her were, “I’m dying. I love you too.”

Bartender Christopher “Rusty” Schaffer said he did not see the shot but heard what he described as a loud clap. He said he had been serving the Martins drinks earlier in the night as the couple played pool. Schaffer said he recognized Richards as an occasional customer. He said he did not detect any tension leading up to the shooting, as he thought it was just friendly banter, but also testified that Martin seemed to be looking for trouble with Richards. 

Barback Andrew Gusch, a former Marine, said he also did not detect any tension but knew he heard a gunshot right away. He saw Richards on the floor with blood coming out of his mouth, a sign to Gusch that Richards had blood in his lungs. Christopher Sulton was another bar back who was off duty but hanging out at the bar that night. He testified he heard a popping sound he knew was a gunshot, and after taking cover briefly, rushed over to where Richards was down and called 911. On the call, which was played in court, Sulton told the dispatcher that a man had been shot, that Richards was not breathing and the shooter had fled. A former Navy man with knowledge of CPR, Sulton performed chest compressions on Richards until paramedics arrived, while Gusch talked with the dispatcher. Sulton said he saw blood coming from Richards’ mouth and a gunshot wound in the chest, near his clavicle.  

On Oct. 16, the trial’s third day, prosecutors called Mackenson Jean-Francois, also known as “Mack,” who was a patron in the bar that night. Jean-Francois was shown the surveillance tape and photographs of himself in the bar interacting with Richards. Jean-Francois said he did not know Richards personally, only in passing. He said during the game of pool, Richards told Martin to hurry up and take his shot. He said Martin replied, “Don’t tell me what to do.” Jean-Francois said not long after that, Martin took out his pistol and shot Richards, allegedly telling Richards, “Now tell me what to do,” as he left the scene.

On cross-examination, defense attorney Daniel Strumpf questioned why Jean-Francois had a gun on him that night. Jean-Francois said he had a concealed-carry permit for the gun, a Glock 9mm. 

Strumpf showed Jean-Francois still frames from the video showing Jean-Francois lifting his shirt and showing his gun to a friend. Jean-Francois testified that the situation between Richards and Martin was escalating and the friend asked what would happen if things turned to violence. Jean-Francois said he showed his gun and remarked that he was protected. 

Showing the still frames, Strumpf pointed out that Martin was close enough to Jean-Francois to possibly see the gun. Strumpf asked, “Did it cross your mind that flashing your gun contributed to Mr. Richards’ death?” Jean-Francois replied, “Absolutely not.”

Strumpf also questioned why Jean-Francois did not immediately contact the police after the shooting, or did not come forward to be interviewed as a witness. Strumpf said it was months after the incident before Delaware State Police detectives found him. Jean-Francois said when he left the bar to go home, state police were arriving and he didn’t think to reach out to police.

Prosecutors then called Yolanda Priestley, a bartender at Amvets Post 2 in Long Neck, who testified she regularly served the Martins during weekends. She said the Martins typically patronized the post to play pool. She said Edward’s favorite drink was a cocktail known as Liquid Marijuana, a bright-green-colored drink made of blue curacao, melon liqueur and rum. On the night of the shooting, security footage from Amvets 2 showed the Martins arriving at the post around 8 p.m., playing pool and having a drink, before leaving at 9:15 p.m. Priestley said Martin was typically very cordial and friendly to deal with. She said she was shocked when she heard he was involved in the shooting. 

Schaffer, the bartender at Coastal Taproom, had earlier testified to the couple coming in later that evening and that he served Edward several liquid marijuana drinks, even having to be shown how to make the drink by the Martins. 

The prosecution then began to wind down its case by calling the first police responders and investigating officers. The first officer on the scene was Cpl. Matthew Blakeman, who testified that when he arrived at the bar, he noticed a pool cue on the ground outside. He came into the bar and found Richards on the floor, surrounded by patrons trying to give him CPR. After making sure the gunman was no longer present, paramedics were called in. Blakeman testified that the bar’s ownership provided him with the security footage of the shooting, and the bar staff identified Martin as the shooter based on both the video and the bar tab Martin left behind.

The prosecution plans to wrap up its case by Friday, Oct. 18. The following week will be the defense’s turn before the case is handed to the jury. Martin faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.