A 19-year-old Anne Arundel County resident has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the 2025 killing of a well-known Davidsonville business owner.
Jonah Michael Poole admitted responsibility in the death of 67-year-old Stephen Koza, who owned Tropic Bay Aquatic Garden Center on West Central Avenue. Poole is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2026.
Koza was discovered dead on May 24, 2025, after emergency crews responded to reports of a vehicle fire in the garden center’s parking lot. Firefighters extinguished the flames and found Koza’s body inside his pickup truck. Investigators later determined he had been tied up and burned.
Authorities said evidence inside the store suggested a violent confrontation had taken place near closing time. According to investigators, Koza was attacked inside the business, restrained, placed in the back of his truck, and driven away before the vehicle was returned to the parking lot and set on fire.
Police described the crime as highly unusual for the area due to its severity and brutality.
Surveillance footage reviewed by detectives showed Poole wearing a Bass Pro Shop hat, which was later recovered at the scene. Officials confirmed that Poole had briefly worked at the garden center in 2024.
A second individual, Kylee Dakes, was also charged in connection with the case. Her trial is expected to take place in June 2026. Court documents state that Poole and Dakes were in a relationship and had been set to graduate from Southern High School just weeks after the incident occurred.
During court proceedings in October 2025, a judge ruled that Poole was competent to stand trial following a mental health evaluation conducted by a physician with the Maryland Department of Health.
The case drew significant attention across Anne Arundel County due to the shocking nature of the crime and the impact on the local business community. Sentencing for Poole later this year is expected to bring a major development in a case that has deeply affected the Davidsonville area.
