Judge: Not Convinced of Evidence Against Honor Student Charged in Panera Murder

A judge says he’s not convinced there is enough evidence to proceed with charges against an honor student charged in connection with a murder outside a Panera Bread late last year.

A court hearing for Taylor Law and the other suspect, Ryland Kidd, was held Wednesday morning. The homicide happened in front of the restaurant on Airport Boulevard in November.

During Wednesday’s preliminary hearing a Mobile homicide detective testified Law told him she drove Kidd to confront Justin Edwards about a gun he said Edwards stole from him. Law said she waited in the car a few blocks away as Kidd approached Edwards and then drove Kidd away after the shooting, according to the detective. The detective testified that after Law spoke with him, Kidd confessed to shooting Edwards, but claimed it was in self-defense.

The judge ruled there is enough evidence in Kidd’s murder case to be sent to a grand jury.

However, the judge questions the evidence in Law’s felony murder case. Prosecutors argued she knew Kidd was going to rob Edwards of the gun.

“That was the testimony that she knew he was getting out of the car with a weapon and going to get his stolen gun back,” said Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Wright.

Law’s lawyer does not think the State proved a robbery took place. The judge also had questions in that regard. He put his ruling on hold until the State can provide information from previous cases with similar statutes.

The judge has given the state until the end of the day to produce that information.  

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MOBILE, AL (WKRG) — The two suspects arrested in the shooting death of a 24-year-old at a Panera Bread location in Mobile have pleaded not guilty.

Ryland Kidd, 20, and Taylor Law, 18, appeared in court on Tuesday morning to enter the not guilty plea. They are accused of murdering Justin Edwards at the Panera Bread on Airport Boulevard on Saturday night.

Kidd is a former Murphy High School football player.  Prosecutors say Kidd knew Edwards, and shot him three times.  Kidd’s bond was set at $50,000.

Law was a standout English Honor Society student at Murphy, where she had a 3.8 GPA.  She now serves as a mentor at Florence Elementary School.  Attorneys said she was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”  Her bond was set at $20,000.

Kidd is charged with murder, while Law is charged with felony murder.  Neither have any prior arrests.  A preliminary hearing is set for January 10.