Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that Edward Harwell, 39, of Buffalo, was sentenced this morning before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan. Harwell received a determinate sentence of 22 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.
On Sunday, August 3, 2024, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the defendant caused the death of the victim by shooting him with an illegal gun on the 200 block of Bird Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The victim, a 21-year-old male, was taken by ambulance to ECMC with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at the hospital.
A short time after the initial call, a Buffalo Police officer observed a vehicle traveling eastbound on Route 198 near Delaware Park, which matched the description of a vehicle that fled the area after the homicide. The officer followed the suspect vehicle as it traveled onto the Kensington Expressway, into downtown Buffalo, and onto Route 5 Skyway. While on the top of the Skyway, the officer saw multiple objects, that appeared to be handguns, thrown from the window of the vehicle.
Officers stopped the vehicle near the Fuhrmann Boulevard exit. The driver, Edward Harwell, and two passengers were taken into custody. Officers recovered two loaded firearms from the vehicle’s flight path, which were submitted into evidence for further analysis. Harwell was linked to the weapons through DNA analysis.
Harwell pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class “B” violent felony) and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felonies) in April 2025.
Two passengers were also indicted for being in possession of the recovered illegal weapons. An 18-year-old male from Buffalo pleaded guilty, as charged, to two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class “C” violent felonies) in December 2024. The adolescent offender was also sentenced this morning before Judge Eagan, a designated Youth Part judge, to 6 months in jail followed by 5 years of probation. He was adjudicated as a youthful offender due to his age at the time of the crime. The case against a second co-defendant was dismissed today.
DA Keane commends Detective Anthony Shea and Officer Christina Colosimo of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher S. Safulko of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Megan A. Connelly of the Felony Trials Bureau.