At 5:15 p.m. on May 1st, 2022, police were called to a home on Hannah Drive in Clinton, Mississippi. When officers entered the house, 45-year-old Robert Bobby Davis was already lying near the front door. He had been struck by nine bullets. Bobby was a well-known community activist, a man who had spent years working with teenagers, fighting crime, and helping the people in his city.
The 911 call was made by the homeowner, Shadow Robinson. Even before a full investigation had begun, she claimed she already knew who had pulled the trigger. According to her, the shooter was William Polo Edwards, a controversial radio host, an activist, a man who had spent years speaking out publicly against violence, corruption, and crime.
To some people, he was the voice of the community. To others, he was a dangerous provocator who constantly pushed the limits of the law. In the past, he had been arrested over high-profile conflicts, threats, and controversial statements. But each time, he managed to avoid serious consequences. This time, things were different.
A man was dead. An eyewitness was naming the shooter. But when investigators began examining the evidence, the case turned out to be far more complicated than it first appeared. The weapon was never found. There was almost no direct physical evidence. And the only person who claimed to have seen the killer was hiding a deadly past of her own.
Hey guys, let me grab you for just a second. I’m really curious where my audience is watching from. So, I’d love for you to drop a comment and tell me what city you’re in and what time it is for you right now. Thanks for taking a moment. Go ahead and share that in the comments. And now, let’s keep going. Outspoken and unapologetically blunt, local radio host William the Cipher Edwards built a name for himself in Jackson, Mississippi.
He presented himself as a community activist, political commentator, anti-corruption advocate, and perhaps above all else, a defender of free speech protected by the First Amendment. For years, he inserted himself into local disputes and at times became the reason those disputes existed in the first place.
He challenged those in power and more often than not came out on top. So when this local celebrity found himself facing the most serious accusation imaginable murder, the question became impossible to ignore. Could he once again escape the consequences? Or had the controversial radio personality really shot and killed a genuine local hero? Jackson, Mississippi, the state capital and largest city, sits along the Pearl River.
Known for its beautiful green spaces and rich history, it has long served as the political, economic, and social center of Mississippi. In recent years, however, political life in Jackson has been repeatedly overshadowed by controversy. Meetings of Hines County officials often erupted into heated confrontations. One county supervisor was forcibly removed from office and several public officials were even arrested.
Even issues that seemed relatively harmless, such as the name of a local train station or the effectiveness of garbage collection services, became the spark for explosive disputes involving profanity, property damage, and even threats of violence. Well, what you’re hearing there is Napoleon Edwards, aka the cipher voice, telling Banks he will bust him in the face.
Banks walked away from the confrontation. The incident happened yesterday during a special city council meeting to talk about the city’s garbage collection concerns. At the center of this chaos was one man who seemed to appear time and time again, an outspoken and passionate radio host known by many different names. William Ulen Edwards.
On Facebook, he went by the name Napoleon. On his radio program, The Cipher Voice, listeners knew him as the cipher. To friends and local residents, he was simply Polo. And among his many critics and enemies, William had earned the nickname gutbucket. In this tense and highly volatile political environment, William Polo Edwards built a reputation as a self-proclaimed community activist dedicated to fighting crime and corruption in Jackson.
To support that mission, he founded an organization he described as a liberal action committee called the Cipher. His content was often a mix of personal opinions and information allegedly provided by well-connected sources. That approach helped him attract thousands of followers across social media and turned him into one of the most recognizable and controversial voices in the community.
>> All social media, let’s make a difference together, >> man. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome to another edition of the Cipher Voice, the most thoughtprovoking show on the web. Hey man, you are locked into the cipher voice right here from the We Believe Digital Podcast studio in Jackson, Mississippi.
We’re broadcasting to you live tonight on in 149 countries as well as Ruku TV. >> Polo frequently spoke about the challenges facing Jackson and the need for positive change within the community. One issue that particularly concerned him was the city’s homicide rate. He often pointed to what he believed were the root causes of violence, arguing that many of those problems began at home and within the family environment.
>> We can’t continue to go this way. We can’t continue to allow uh Jackson, Mississippi, to be at a higher rate per murder capital than Chicago. We We don’t have black fathers. We don’t have strong black male figures. We don’t have uh a moral code, our moral map. So, so we we really have some work to do and we really have some deep deep discussions that we have to have people.
We got to come together. We got to get down to the nitty-gritty and we got to implement real change. Time is running out just like it is on the show tonight. For regular listeners of the cipher who shared Polo’s deep concern about the rising levels of violence and homicide in the community, the idea that the radio host would one day be accused of murder seemed unthinkable.
For others, however, the accusation was not only believable, but appeared to be a natural extension of what they viewed as Polo’s long history of unstable behavior. Despite the moral outrage that often fueled his commentary, the cipher had repeatedly been accused of encouraging violence or making threatening statements.
And it seemed that he rarely faced serious consequences as a result. In November of 2016, the radio host turned his attention to Rodri Richardson, a local pastor. The two disagreed over which candidate should receive support in an upcoming mayoral election. Polo released a series of videos in which he claimed to have received information from two members of the pastor’s congregation.
He accused Pastor Richardson of having a close relationship with a female member of the church whom he referred to on his program as a little girl. Although Polo insisted that his claims were backed by reliable sources, uh he was ultimately charged with the serious offense of criminal liel against the pastor with the intent to cause harm.
A jury found him guilty and Polo was sentenced to 5 years in prison. >> He said that we were stealing money. He said that I was messing with little girls and all of these other types of allegations which of course were unsubstantiate. >> However, in a turn of events that would later become a familiar pattern in the radio host’s life.
The conviction was overturned on appeal and Polo faced no punishment for the extremely serious and unproven accusations he had made against the pastor. The court ruled that Polo’s First Amendment right to free speech had been violated. As a result, Polo Edwards was cleared and according to Pastor Richardson, the experience only made him feel even more untouchable.
>> What it did is it empowered him because uh he presented it in a way as if he fought it and won, but it was a simple mistake uh made by the district attorneys at the time. It gave him a sense of being untouchable. Perhaps Polo’s most famous and controversial feud was with David Archie, the supervisor for Hines County’s second district.
Criticizing Archie became one of the favorite recurring topics on the Cipher Voice, and the public official often provided fresh material for those broadcasts himself. From headline making behavior during official meetings to allegations of election related misconduct. >> That’s this morning. The meeting ended quickly today after the president and two other supervisors walked out following several loud outbursts from that man, Supervisor David Archie.
>> Archie was handcuffed and escorted out, but interim Sheriff Marshawn Chrysler decided not to book him. He will be charged with five misdemeanors. Disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, preventing the people’s business from being conducted, destruction of county public property, and resisting arrest. I did not break any laws.
Um, he instructed the sheriff to place me under arrest. They want to say that I resist. I didn’t resist. I was bracing myself so I don’t get hurt. >> Last week, David had a tantrum, beating the gavvel, acted a fool. And I’ve asked David twice to come on this show. I’ve asked David Lee. Matter of fact, I’ll come to you, Mr. Mr. Supervisor.
You know, you go everywhere else, but let’s sit down and have a real conversation. All right. Let me sit down and interview you, Mr. charge and he has declined. And in the next upcoming election, uh, the citizens of Hines County are going to take care of the business of the citizens. They go to vote out David L.
Archie. They go vote out Robert Graham and they go vote out Credel C. >> The dispute between the cipher and David Archie, much like the earlier conflict with Pastor Richardson, eventually led to the radio host’s arrest. This time he was charged with cyberstalking, a charge that can arise when alleged physical threats are made online.
The case was based on a single statement made during an episode of the Cipher Voice in August of 2020. While discussing three supervisors he frequently criticized Archie, Graham, and Calhoun, the host said, “I’ll take that 50 caliber and shoot all three of them. I’ll line those guys up and execute them.” He then went on to say, “With information, with news that you need to know.
” Alongside what was alleged to be a physical threat, Polo presented his audience with a collection of documents, court records that he claimed proved Supervisor Archie was a criminal. The records included a sexual assault charge against an individual named David Archie, followed by a reference to a guilty plea. in 2004 2007.
He got a charge of sexual battery. >> Wow. >> He got A CHARGE OF SEXUAL BATTERY AND GOT INDICTED ON ENTER the plea of guilty. What kind of strings he >> plead guilty 10 years MDOC suspended five years probation. UH NO VICTIM CONTACT. THAT’S YOUR SUPERVISOR DAVID ARCHIE. >> YEAH. Archie was furious over the accusations.
According to him, he personally contacted police chief James Davis as well as the district attorney’s office. Following those conversations, William Polo Edwards was arrested by members of the United States Marshall Service. >> That my life was threatened by an individual of this city. He threatened to execute me along with others.
The person name is William Edwards. And at that point, I immediately pick up the phone to call the chief of police, to call the sheriff as well as the district attorney, and I thank all of them for being involved in this matter. Reporters later questioned Archie about the claims that he was a convicted criminal.
He firmly insisted that the allegations were false. But when WLBT photojournalist Carlos Sanders asked him which parts of the information were actually accurate, the question triggered an explosive reaction. The exchange quickly spiraled out of control. There are some information that he stated about me that were true. >> What is that? >> I don’t have a problem with I I want you to find that information.
I want you I All I’m saying is that I want you to do the same that the citizens have done. >> I’ve just told you that I’ve not been convicted. I asked have you ever been charged. You said you’re not a convicted felon. And you use the word convicted several times. So I asked just to clarify, have you been charged? Now my colleague here just asked, are there other things that’s been put out? >> I’m going to tell you again since you want to act like you want TO HARASS ME.
>> I’M NOT TRYING TO HARASS YOU. I am the media. I’M HERE TO GET INFORMATION WITH a felony. >> Correct. >> The answer IS NO. NO. NO. NO. YOU GOT IT. >> OKAY. Thank you. with. >> Well, I I guess all all I would ask, sir, I understand you told us to go f to go find it, but you’re here right now. Can you just tell us? >> I said, I’m going to tell you again, and I DON’T WANT YOU TO ASK me that anymore.
>> Okay. >> I WANT YOU TO DO YOUR JOB >> ALWAYS >> AND AND PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION to the public. >> David Archie had in fact been arrested in Georgia and charged with sexual assault in 1996. However, that case was later dismissed in Mississippi. He had also been arrested on a domestic violence charge involving his wife four years earlier, but in that case as well, he was never convicted.
Records from the Jackson Police Department showed only administrative violations. The documents that Polo Edwards displayed actually referred to a different David Archie altogether. That was easy to verify by checking the date of birth listed in the records. The man named in those documents was born in 1985, more than 20 years after the county supervisor either Polo failed to properly verify the documents or he knowingly ignored that information.
>> This is about the fact that this platform has been built on truth. Not one time have we talked about something, exposed someone, pulled the covers back off of anybody that it was not the truth. When we put misinformation out, there is somebody that that’s all they thrive on is misinformation.
And we got to be careful because that’s what’s happening in our community right now. We got a lot of people that have misinformation. And I and I rather you have no information than than misinformation. All right. >> The circumstances surrounding Polo’s arrest for allegedly threatening David Archie’s life also became a source of controversy.
At a press conference following his release, his attorney argued that executing someone with information is not a crime. According to the defense, the statement had been taken out of context and was clearly intended as a reference to exposing information, not committing an act of violence. uh my place of employment which is WM uh WPBQ on I55 Front Road about 7:35.
When I pulled up and exited >> AM or PM PM when I got ready to exit the vehicle, several uh SUVs blocked me in and got out with weapons drawn. Uh they were all US marshals. They told me put my hands up in the air. Uh I complied and handed him both of my cell phones. He uh searched my vehicle, didn’t find anything.
I asked him what I was being arrested for. He said for cyberstalking. Uh I said, “Cyberstalking? Are you serious?” I said, “Well, why is the US Marshall here?” He says, “We received this from James Davis.” >> Mr. Williams actually said that he believed he would have them lined up as a firing squad and throw information uh at them that he has gathered.
information. Not bullets, not daggers, not not stakes, not knives, nothing that could physically hurt or harm a person’s body, but information. If you don’t like what Mr. Williams said, I suggest you don’t shake his tree and eat his peaches. >> Turn the station and try another station. I’m going to shoot THAT 50 CALIBER OUT.
ALL three of them. All I’m going to line them guns up and I’m going execute all three of them with information. NEWS THAT YOU CAN USE. >> Following the incident, Polo Edwards and his wife Darice filed a lawsuit against the city of Jackson, its mayor, police chief Davis, County Supervisor Archie, and several other city officials.
The lawsuit included a number of allegations. among them malicious prosecution, unlawful use of taxpayer funds by public officials for personal benefit, conspiracy to carry out an unlawful arrest and abuse of official authority. To his supporters, Napoleon Edwards continued to be a fighter for government transparency and a defender of the free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.
My concern is is that um the cipher who is my brother um William to me undoubtly has said some unfavorable things um regarding maybe some city officials that for some might be unfavorable but with his constitution right constitutional right and freedom of speech my concern is that I don’t want any harm to come his way >> to Polo’s critics.
However, he was nothing more than a bully who had turned social media into a weapon. His repeated success in avoiding legal consequences only seemed to reinforce what they saw as a false sense of invincibility. It often appeared as though the cipher could say or do almost anything and walk away without consequences.
Then at 5:15 p.m. on May 1st, 2022, officers from the Clinton Police Department in the city neighboring Jackson were dispatched to a shooting at a home on Hannah Drive. When they arrived, they found the victim lying just inside the front door. He had suffered nine gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was 45-year-old Robert Bobby Davis. Earlier that day, Bobby had been visiting the home of his girlfriend, Shadow Robinson. According to the information available, he opened the door and came face to face with an armed man standing on the other side, who then shot him. It was Shadow who called 911. Both during the emergency call and later, when officers arrived, she stated that she knew exactly who the killer was.
She identified him as William Polo Edwards. Robert Davis was the founder of Better Men’s Society, an organization dedicated to mentoring young men and helping them choose a positive path in life. Like the man accused of killing him, Bobby was also a Jackson activist who spoke out against violence. He was widely admired and respected as a community leader, philanthropist, and crimerevention advocate.
His sister later said that Bobby had literally rescued people from burning homes and vehicles. He participated in reading programs for children at local schools, helped feed the homeless, assisted with hurricane recovery efforts, and took part in community cleanup projects. Just one week before his death, Bobby and members of his organization joined Jackson Police Chief James Davis, who was not related to Bobby, at an anti-rime community event.
>> I tell mothers all the time, if you give me your young men, I’m going to give you some success back. these young men, they seem to know where the drug dealers are because the drug dealers are are in their faces. Uh the guys with the guns are in their faces. Like they see these guys on a day-to-day basis.
So, uh in the Better Me Society, we try to make ourselves just as visible. >> Feeding the homeless, visiting the sick, and cleaning up abandoned buildings are just a few activities they take part in. >> We go into the schools and read to the kids. We provide um security for mom and pop stores and for small churches who can’t afford security.
We help guys get their GEDs and provide jobs for young men and we do basically anything positive that we can get our hands on. >> Bobby’s commitment to that kind of work was shaped by the mistakes he made in his own youth. He was born and raised in the Verer Edition neighborhood where he was exposed to drugs, gangs, and violence from an early age.
By the time he was just 11 years old, he had joined a gang himself. Looking back on that period of his life, Bobby said that the absence of a positive male role model left him with very little chance of avoiding that environment. He loved his mother and respected her authority, but he admitted that the streets held a powerful attraction for him as a child.
As an adult, the desire to become the mentor he never had guided almost everything he did. On the day he was killed, Bobby attended church. Afterward, he delivered food and essential supplies to a family in need before heading to the home of Shadow Robinson on Hannah Drive. Shadow was a single mother who ran a successful real estate business.
She worked closely with contractors who renovated homes for resale, and it was through that work that she met Bobby. Shadow told investigators that she and Bobby were not romantically involved, although she believed that was something he may have wanted in the future. Her romantic relationship, she said, was with Polo Edwards.
In fact, she had recently ended that relationship. According to Shadow, Polo took the breakup very hard. He became increasingly possessive and jealous. That day, Shadow was running behind on her work schedule, so she accepted Bobby’s offer to prepare food for her children. Around 3:00 in the afternoon, the community activist arrived at her home with groceries and started cooking.
About 2 hours later, while she was in the back part of the house, Shadow heard gunshots. When she ran to the front entryway, she later said she saw Polo standing over Bobby’s body. According to her account, he tucked a handgun into his waistband, ran to his pickup truck, and drove away. >> We do believe that this was not a random event.
Whether or not Mr. Bobby himself was was targeted, we don’t know, but this was not random. I guess you could call it domestic in some sense of the word. >> In the hours following the shooting, Clinton law enforcement officers remained in contact with Polo. The detective leading the investigation initially heard Polo’s name during the 911 call and at first even wondered whether the radio host himself might have been the victim.
Because of that, he called Polo’s cell phone to reach him directly. Polo answered. The two spoke several times by phone as they worked out arrangements for him to voluntarily turn himself in. Eventually, he agreed to do so. However, the process stretched on for several days. Polo said he would not come to the police station until his attorney was present.
According to his own account, during that time he made a puzzling trip. First traveling north and then heading south to New Orleans where he was ultimately arrested. While in custody, William maintained that he was innocent. >> You don’t have anything to say about Did you kill him? Did you kill Robert Davis? >> No, I did not.
My dad We’re not entirely surprised at what he did. He just fulfilled the things that he said on his Facebook live. William Edwards, the cipher, whatever you want to call him. I call him the devil because I knew that he came to kill, steal, and destroy. And he destroyed himself with the effort of trying to destroy others.
The forensic examination of the crime scene did not provide a definitive answer about what had happened. Investigators recovered six spent shell casings and determined that ammunition from two different manufacturers had been used. They were able to establish that two of the bullets that killed Bobby had been fired from the same 9mm handgun.
However, testing of the remaining seven bullets produced no conclusive results. A search of Shadow’s home was conducted on May 4th, 3 days after the shooting. Shadow told investigators that there were no firearms inside the house. Because of her criminal history, she was legally prohibited from possessing a gun. Despite that, officers found 9 mm ammunition in the home.
However, it did not match the bullets that killed Bobby. Clinton police also searched Polo’s residence in Jackson. There they discovered a 9mm pistol case containing four live rounds, but the firearm itself was missing. The black Ford 450 pickup truck used by Polo belonged to an acquaintance of his. That vehicle was searched as well.
The search took place only a few days after Polo’s unexplained trip to Louisiana. The owner told investigators that Polo had been using the truck for the previous 6 months. Inside the vehicle, officers found several additional 9mm rounds. The murder weapon was never recovered. Investigators also failed to uncover any other physical evidence directly linking William Edwards to the crime scene.
By the time the case went to trial in the summer of 2023, the defense argued that William Napoleon Polo the Cipher Edwards had been made a scapegoat. According to his attorneys, the entire case rested on the testimony of a single person, Shadow Robinson. It was her credibility that became the central focus of the defense strategy.
Uh what the evidence is going to show is that the only witness, and I mean the only witness that says William Edwards shot and killed Bobby Davis is Shadow Rollins. The only witness, it says, William Edwards was at Shadow Rollinsson’s home the afternoon around 5:00 of May 1st, 2022 in Shadow Robinson. >> Although the prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of a single eyewitness, there was also evidence that supported her account.
Polo insisted that he had spent the entire evening at his home in Jackson. However, cell phone data told a different story. Records from cellular towers showed that Polo’s phone left the area around his home in Jackson shortly after 5:00 on the evening of the murder. Subsequent tower connections indicated that the device was traveling toward Clinton.
The last recorded location before the shooting was logged just 4 minutes before the crime occurred. At that point, Polo’s phone was only four blocks away from Shadow Robinson’s house. The next signal was recorded just minutes after the murder. According to the data, the phone was already moving away from the area. That timeline was consistent with an image captured by surveillance cameras at Funtime Skateland and Child Care on Highway 80.
The photograph was taken at 5:13 p.m., approximately 1 minute after Shadow’s called to 911. It showed a black Ford 450 pickup truck matching the vehicle Polo had been using. Another witness from the neighborhood, Wayne Derek, also testified before the jury. Um, he said he was working on his computer when he heard gunshots. According to his testimony, he then saw a black pickup truck driving away from the scene.
Even so, the cell phone evidence was not absolute proof. While it was highly unlikely that Polo’s phone would have connected to a tower serving Clinton if he had actually remained at home in Jackson, that fact alone did not prove that he committed the murder. Defense attorneys repeatedly questioned investigators about why Shadow Robinson had never been treated as a suspect.
After all, at the time of the shooting, she was the only other adult known to have been inside the house. >> By whom? >> He was identified by an eyewitness >> who >> being Shadow Robinson. Okay. Who else? >> She was the only one I’ll change to my >> What else made him a suspect? >> Your honor, argumentative. >> Uncle, >> what else made him the suspect? My 10.
>> Yes, sir. So, the 911 call, she said him by name. >> She >> That’s her saying he’s the one who did it >> on a recorded 911 line. Yes, sir. She said him by name that he did it. Is it more truthful because I pulled the 911 line and respect you face to face? >> Well, with all due respect, you asked me how I found that out.
>> He became the suspect. What did you have? >> We had a recorded 911 call stating him by name and we also had an eyewitness of Shadow Robinson who told the responding officers. >> Same person. >> Same person. Yes. >> You really didn’t have two different identifications with them. What you had was one person twice saying he did.
Well, if you would continue, she did provide a vehicle description and a neighbor also provided a vehicle description as well. >> So, so she’s the key here. She’s the she’s the one that said he did it. >> That’s correct. >> Right. And that’s why he gets investigated. Did anyone investigate her? >> Mr. Porter, that’s a very good question.
Uh, in fairness to the trial and the case, we investigated everybody. >> Shadow’s testimony lasted for two days. During the trial, text messages exchanged between her and Polo were read aloud in court, revealing the complicated history of their relationship. Shadow told jurors that Polo had spent 3 years trying to connect with her through social media before she finally responded.
He made grand romantic gestures in an effort to win her affection. Over time, the two became involved in an intimate relationship. According to Shadow, however, the relationship was never truly serious from her perspective. He have been inboxing me through social media uh sending me messages and liking everything that I post and commented on everything that I post and just anything that I do post and like and love and comment and message.
Did you did you uh respond to those messages? >> Not for three years. >> No. But he told me that uh his wife had filed for the divorce when he was incarcerated before he got home. the third and he signed and were going to be lied about that initially. >> By the spring of 2022, their relationship had essentially come to an end.
Shadow was the one who ended it. According to her testimony, however, Polo refused to let go. She said he began showing up unexpectedly at her home with gifts and treats for her children, knowing she would not throw him out or create a scene in front of them. She also claimed that he was stalking her. Text messages she sent from her phone to his number included repeated requests for him to stop following and monitoring her.
In response, he sent numerous messages expressing his love for her. He also revealed feelings of jealousy and insecurity about her spending time with other men. During her initial interview with investigators, Shadow stated that Polo had no personal conflict with Bobby. At trial, however, she testified that he was jealous of virtually every man in her life, including Bobby Davis.
On the evening before the shooting, Polo sent her several messages that went unanswered. Among them was a photograph taken months earlier. The image showed the two of them together while Shadow was asleep. According to her, she had no idea he had even taken the picture at the time.
One of his final messages contained a warning that she would regret her decision to reject him. “You’re going to regret starting this game with me instead of somebody else,” he wrote. Shadow testified that during the afternoon of May 1st, she was working in her bedroom when she saw Polo pull up to the house in a black pickup truck.
At the time, Bobby was in the kitchen. I went to the kitchen first. I said, “Robert, the kitchen is right outside my bedroom.” So, I went in the kitchen. I said to Robert, he was on the facing this this side of the counter u making cornbread. And I said, “Robert, why is Polo pulling up in my driveway?” And he said, “Huh?” And he looked out the window and he start verify. Okay.
Well, he’s he’s in the coming up the driveway. And he said, “Don’t worry about our hand.” >> Did he eventually go to the door? >> Apparently. >> And describe for us what you saw or what you heard. You saw >> Well, when I sat down and I heard just Pop, pop, pop, pop just over and just over and over and over non-stop. And I just started I grabbed my ears and I started yelling.
I was holling like, “Robert, Robert, Robert, Robert, Robert, wait, wait, wait.” Cuz I thought my mind went into he was moving around in my pantry. I didn’t know. That was odd. When you think hindsight, that was odd. So, I’m thinking when he was bringing the grocery, he made a few trips. So, I’m thinking maybe he brought a gun in. Maybe he had a gun.
Maybe it was him during the shooting. I didn’t think that it would be I never thought I would see what I saw when I hit that hallway. >> Tell us. So, you thought maybe it was him. Did you Did he >> actually have a firearm that day? >> Who? >> Robert? >> No. >> So, what did you see when you came back around? >> I saw Robert face down.
Face down in the end of the hallway, like the tip of the door. He was face down. I saw pull off Miss Ambers standing over him basically and he had I saw him with a gun in his waist. I was about to ask what did he do with the gun? >> Put it in his waist. >> As this testimony unfolded, emotions in the courtroom began to intensify. Shadow described her reaction after seeing Bobby lying on the floor.
At the time of the shooting, her children were inside the house as well. I had to secure my babies. >> Your children, they rap. >> Yeah. Spirit love that man. Anyway, any move he made, he knew that that baby was on that man heels. Do you hear me? He could have killed MY [ __ ] BABY. >> Take out. >> HE DIDN’T GIVE A DAMN. I CAN’T.
I COULD HAVE NEVER DONE THAT TO HIM. I HAVE NEVER DISRESPECTED HIS HOUSE EVER. You killed my baby. This kid supposed to be alive. >> Following that emotional outburst, the court recessed until the next day. A defense motion for a mistrial based on the witness’s conduct was denied. When it came time for cross-examination, defense attorney Tom Forner did not hold back.
He challenged the very logic of Shadow’s version of events. In particular, he focused on um her claim that after firing at least nine shots, Polo simply tucked the handgun into the waistband of his pants. Wouldn’t the weapon have been too hot to do that? Shadow was also questioned about evidence recovered during the search of her home.
During that search, police found 9mm ammunition as well as Bobby Davis’s cell phone. The phone was sitting on a shelf inside her closet. She had kept it there for several days. You owned ammunition? >> No, I never owned ammunition. >> There was ammunition in your house. >> I have a house full of children. Adult children. I had children there.
>> So the house full of children there was, as I recall in this case, when the police searched your house, they found a 50 round, 9 mm round drum clip for a 9mm gun. That was your drum? >> No. >> Well, which child was it? >> My adult son. And who is your adult son? >> Oh, you wouldn’t know him. >> Did you tell the police you didn’t know where Robert Davis’s cell phone was? >> If they didn’t ask, I wouldn’t respond.
So, no. >> Was Robert Davis’s cell phone in your house? >> Later on, I found it there. >> Later on when? >> When me and my attorney came back from giving a statement >> that same day? >> The same evening. >> Okay. And so, did you call the police and tell them, “I’ve got Robert Davis’s cell phone.
Y’all want it?” No, they didn’t ask about it. I’ve been thinking about that. No, >> they came back and found that. They searched your house and found that cell phone a couple of days later, didn’t they? >> They did. >> And where was the cell phone when they found it? >> In my closet. >> Those questions, however, were overshadowed by broader concerns about the credibility of Shadow Robinson’s testimony.
During the trial, it emerged that Bobby Davis was not the first person to die in a shooting connected to Shadow’s home. In 2001, Shadow shot and killed her former boyfriend, Lenel Moore. In 2001, you shot and killed your uh export friend, Lenel Moore, in your apartment and your children, his his two children, you and his two children were in that apartment at that time.
Is that correct? >> No. I mean, I shot him, but I didn’t kill him there. So, no, he didn’t die at my apartment, Mr. Fortner. But I did shoot him there. He >> died from that gunshot. >> He died from the gunshot room. That is correct. He died from a few other components. >> I’m sorry. >> He died from a few other components, but yes, initially from the gunshot one.
That’s right. >> Yeah. >> He died from you shooting him. >> Well, you can make that assessment. I mean, you can make that assessment. >> I can make that assessment. >> You can. Thank you. Back in 2001, police in Richland responded to Shadow’s residence and found that she was not particularly cooperative with the investigation.
From the very beginning, officers noted that obtaining a clear account of what had happened was difficult. Detailed information about the events of that night did not come easily, and her answers were not always direct or complete. For investigators, that became one of the first indications that the circumstances surrounding the incident required closer scrutiny.
Although Shadow admitted that she had shot Lenel Moore, she claimed that the shooting had been preceded by nearly 40 minutes of physical fighting between her then boyfriend and her former partner. According to her account, the conflict had not erupted suddenly. She described a lengthy and tense confrontation that she said unfolded over a significant period of time.
Those circumstances, she argued, ultimately led to the fatal shooting. Shadow maintained that the fight had primarily involved the two men. She insisted that they were the main participants in the physical altercation and described a situation marked by escalating tension and aggression. Her testimony painted a picture of a prolonged struggle that had gradually spun out of control.
According to Shadow, the decisive moment came when her former boyfriend turned toward her and lunged in her direction. She said the gun was raised and a shot was fired. That was how she described the critical moment of the incident. By her account, everything happened within a matter of seconds and it was at that point she claimed that the bullet was fired that changed everything.
Police officers, however, reported that they found no signs of a struggle. After arriving at the scene, investigators carefully examined the apartment and documented its condition. What they observed did not match Shadow’s description of a lengthy physical confrontation. None of the people involved showed visible signs of having been in a fight.
Investigators found no injuries or other indications typically associated with an intense physical altercation. That discrepancy became an important part of the investigation. There was no damaged furniture and no evidence of destruction inside the apartment. Detectives also found no indication that a prolonged struggle had taken place.
The scene appeared undisturbed and the condition of the apartment did not reflect what would normally be expected after nearly 40 minutes of physical fighting. After hearing the evidence, listening to witness testimony, and considering the arguments from both sides, the jury found Shadow Robinson guilty of manslaughter.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, she did not serve the entire sentence and the amount of time she ultimately spent behind bars was less than the punishment originally imposed by the court. >> And you actually went to trial and were found guilty of manslaughter. >> I was. >> And you went to prison for a while >> unjustly. I did.
>> Okay. >> After that, Fortner turned his attention to whether Shadow considered herself a violent person. The question came during the next phase of cross-examination and focused on how she viewed her own character and behavior. The defense attorney concentrated specifically on her personal traits, attempting to explore how she believed she reacted to conflict and whether she saw herself as someone capable of using force.
The courtroom paid close attention to this portion of the testimony. Questions like these can carry significant weight because they allow the defense to examine a witness’s personality more closely and draw the jury’s attention to particular aspects of that witness’s behavior and character. Forner steered the discussion directly in that direction and openly asked Shadow whether she considered herself a person with a tendency toward violence.
>> There is nothing violent about you. >> That’s correct. I’m not a violent person. >> You’re not a violent person. I’m not. Unless you force me to be. No. I protect myself. I believe strongly in self-t. >> You don’t do acts of violence. >> No, I’m not a violent person at all. >> Unless you’re forced to be violent.
Is that what you’re saying? >> That’s correct. >> Forced to be violent like you were in 2001. >> That is correct. I was 6 and a half months pregnant. Don’t you ever forget that. Now, >> after two days of deliberations, the jury was still unable to reach a unanimous decision. Hours of discussion behind closed doors failed to produce a final answer to the central question before them.
Jurors carefully reviewed the evidence, testimony, and arguments presented by both sides. But even after lengthy debates, they could not arrive at a common conclusion. As time passed, the divisions within the jury remained so significant that the unanimous verdict required by law proved impossible to achieve. Judge Fay Peterson ultimately declared a mistrial due to a hung jury.
The decision effectively brought an end to a trial that had lasted for weeks and attracted considerable attention from both the public and local media. Despite the extensive evidence presented and the lengthy proceedings, no final determination of guilt or innocence was reached. The court formally acknowledged that the jury had reached a deadlock and could not come to a unanimous verdict.
A tense atmosphere settled over the courtroom. For everyone involved, the outcome meant that the case remained unresolved, and the questions that had fueled intense debate throughout the trial were left without a definitive answer. Afterward, a representative of the prosecution stated, >> “It’s important to note that many people on the jury found that William Edwards did commit this murder.
” It’s important to note that the evidence that was introduced at trial was evidence that showed that William Edwards was on the scene at the time of the murder. It’s important to note that the bullets found on Mr. Edwards when he was captured were the same caliber bullets found at the crime scene. The same caliber bullets also found at his apartment.
It’s important to note that the evidence is still overwhelming that Mr. Edwards commit this crime. And most important important for the public to know that the Hines County Attorney’s Office will not stop. We will try this lawsuit again. We will get a conviction and we will not stop until justice is done. >> A retrial was scheduled for July 29th, 2024 in Hines County.
After the first trial ended without a verdict, attention quickly shifted to the upcoming proceedings. For both the prosecution and the defense, the new trial represented another major chapter in a case that had generated significant public interest and remained the subject of ongoing discussion. The case was set to be heard in Hines County Circuit Court.
However, according to the latest available reports, the defense filed a motion requesting that the hearing be postponed. That development meant the planned trial schedule could change. Once again, procedural issues moved to the forefront, making the prospect of a quick retrial far less certain. In addition, Polo dismissed his attorney, Tom Forner.
The move marked another significant change in the leadup to the new trial. Replacing defense council at such a critical stage attracted considerable attention as the legal team was preparing for another courtroom battle in a high-profile criminal case. Polo’s new attorneys then filed a motion seeking the recusal of Judge Bay Peterson.
In doing so, they challenged her continued involvement in the proceedings. The request became one of the key procedural issues that needed to be resolved before a new trial could begin. Uh the defense argued that the live streamed coverage of the first trial led to the creation of numerous internet memes based on the judge’s facial expressions and reactions while listening to testimony.
Because the proceedings were broadcast to a wide audience in near real time, some of those reactions and expressions spread rapidly online and became the subject of discussion and widespread sharing. According to the defense, those circumstances meant Judge Peterson could no longer remain impartial. The attorneys contended that the public attention surrounding the first trial and the way it was covered could affect perceptions of the case and cast doubt on the possibility of an objective proceeding under the same judge. At the
time this report was published, a new retrial date had not yet been scheduled. As a result, the future of the case remained uncertain. Although a second trial had been planned, procedural disputes and defense motions created yet another delay. Exactly when the court would return to the case of William Polo.
Edwards had not yet been officially announced. >> We can’t continue to go this way. We can’t continue to allow uh Jackson, Mississippi to be at a higher rate per murder capital than Chicago. We we don’t have black fathers. We don’t have strong black male figures. We don’t have uh a moral code or a moral map. So, so we we really have some work to do and we really have some deep deep discussions that we have to have.
>> Better Men Society continued its work even after the death of its founder, Robert Davis. Despite losing the man who had helped build the organization from the ground up and served as its driving force for years, the group did not disappear. Its mission continued and the structure he created proved strong enough to carry on without him.
Today, Bettermen Society operates seven chapters in Mississippi and has a presence in 13 additional states and two countries. What began as a local initiative eventually grew into a much larger network. Its influence expanded far beyond its original community, and its work continues across different parts of the United States and even internationally.
In the end, the cipher turned out to be correct in his prediction about David Archie’s political future. events unfolded much the way he had forecast. His assessment of one of the area’s most recognizable political figures ultimately matched what happened in reality. The Hines County supervisor lost his next election.
For many observers, the result was a significant political moment that drew attention from both supporters and critics alike. The vote brought another election campaign to a close. Archie, however, refused to accept defeat. Even after the results were announced, he declined to acknowledge the outcome. Rather than accepting the voters’s decision, he chose to continue the fight through the courts.
He challenged the election results, alleging voter fraud, corruption, and what he described as a high-tech election theft. The accusations generated widespread attention. Archie maintained that the results did not reflect the true will of the voters and claimed that serious irregularities had occurred during the election process.
According to him, he possessed video evidence showing that Jaclyn Amos, the chair of the county Democratic Executive Committee, had interfered with ballots and voting machines. Those allegations formed the basis of his challenge to the election results. Claims of such evidence only intensified public interest and became the subject of ongoing legal proceedings.
As of October 2024, Archie’s lawsuit challenging the election remained active. No final ruling had yet been issued and the legal dispute continued as both sides pressed their positions in court. Then in early November 2024, the United States Department of Justice announced an indictment against Hines County District Attorney Jod Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokeway Lumumba, and Jackson City Council member Aaron Banks.
The news quickly drew public attention. Several prominent local officials found themselves at the center of a federal investigation. uh they were accused of participating in a bribery scheme that according to prosecutors involved payments totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. The indictment described what federal investigators alleged was a large-scale corruption operation that had functioned over a period of time and involved the misuse of public office.
According to the charging documents, Owens helped facilitate the transfer of bribes from supposed real estate developers to public officials in Jackson. Investigators alleged that he played a key role in establishing and maintaining those relationships. In reality, however, the so-called developers were undercover FBI agents.
That detail became one of the most widely discussed aspects of the case. The operation was conducted by federal authorities working covertly while documenting their interactions with public officials. According to the indictment, Owens boasted about the extent of his influence within the city. Investigators claimed that during recorded conversations, he described himself as someone capable of influencing political decisions and major government actions.
He allegedly stated that he had a whole bag of damn information on every member of the city council and could use it to secure the votes he needed. That remark became one of the most notable passages in the indictment. According to prosecutors, it reflected how Owens viewed his own ability to influence local government officials.
According to the latest publicly available information, William Napoleon Polo, the cipher, Gutbucket Edwards, is being held at the Tahachi County Correctional Facility in Tutweiler, Mississippi. At the time of the most recent reports, he remained in custody awaiting further court proceedings. The man who spent years speaking publicly, commenting on politics, and criticizing the system had now become the central figure in a criminal case himself.
He is awaiting a second trial on the murder charge. His legal battle is not over. Another trial still lies ahead, marking the next major chapter in a long, controversial, and deeply complicated story. And that is the strange story of William Edwards. um an activist who spoke out against violence and who may be a murderer or may not be.
It is a story in which community activism, political conflicts, public accusations, and criminal prosecution became intertwined in a single complex and troubling narrative. It is the story of a man who remained at the center of controversy for years, while the answers to the most important questions continue to remain uncertain for many people.
