Fugitive Murder Suspect Behind Bars

By WESTON LOVING

A fugitive murder suspect wanted in an alleged revenge killing was finally in a Brooklyn lockup on Thursday awaiting arraignment after months fighting extradition from Massachusetts.

Law enforcement officials described how shortly after the December 30 brutal killing of Jamel Horne the defendant Edwin Banks, 44, fled to the Bay State where authorities had been unable to locate him for 10 months.

Finally, said  Springfield police spokesman Ryan Walsh, a combined task force of U.S. Marshals, Springfield police, and Massachusetts State Police were able to apprehend him on April 22nd without incident. Banks was arrested on warrants charging him as a fugitive from justice as well as a New York City Parole Violation.

Banks was held at Ludlow County Jail while he fought his extradition back to the state of New York, but ultimately lost his appeal. On Wednesday he was brought back to New York City to face charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Authorities said that the killing was in revenge for the killing of Edwin’s brother, Shaquill Banks. The authorities also said that Jamel Horne was stabbed repeatedly in his back, shoulder, and chest. The victim was reportedly friends with Shaquill Banks before the younger Banks’ killing and was originally in custody following Shaquill’s 2017 murder;  however he was never charged according to Helen Peterson, spokeswoman for the Brooklyn DA.

While Edwin Banks’ uncle, Kareem Waters, 20, was arrested quickly after the murder, and has been arraigned on murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, according to the Brooklyn DA’s Office.