Edward Daquane Hunter
January 23, 1997 – December 12, 2015
December 12, 2015 at approximately 6:00pm Killeen Police Department responded to the 2200 block of Carona Drive to find Edward Daquane Hunter face down and unresponsive in the street. Edward was taken to Carl R. Darnell Army Medical Center, when two hours later Edward succumbed to a gunshot wound to his chest.
Eyewitnesses described a red SUV fleeing the area moments after they heard gunshots. When KPD spoke with Edward’s mother Daphne Phillips she told them she knew who owned the red Jeep and gave a possible address.
The SUV belonged to Crystal Amber Gonzalez, 17, her mother brought her to KPD for questioning.
In a recorded interview, Gonzalez admitted she and Tiara Rose Afano,19 were present at the time of the shooting. Gonzalez went on to claim that someone she only knew as “EP” may have done the shooting and that he would have been in the front passenger seat of her car.
(If this was true, where was Afano during the time of the shooting?) This would have also made Gonzalez’s Jeep part of the crime scene.
Gonzalez also stated that after the shooting she and Afano drove to Florence and along the way they stopped and cleaned out the interior of her vehicle and did a factory reset on her cell phone.
On February 1, 2016 both Gonzalez and Afano were arrested and booked into the Bell County jail on charges of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a third degree felony.
Gonzalez was charged with two counts and Afano was charged with one.
Gonzalez only ended up serving 6 months in jail, Afano served none.
Afano corroborated Gonzalez’s story that they were with “EP” and also stated that three men walked up and that one of the unknown men made threats and made demands for the bag that “EP” was in control of.
Gonzalez also stated that three males approached her Jeep, and two of the males got into the back seat while the third stood outside of the Jeep. Gonzalez then said that one of the males was outside of her Jeep and displayed a handgun and demanded the bag that Edward had. The girls told police they fled the scene without “EP” after the shots.
(“the bag” more than likely was a backpack Edward carried with him everywhere he went, containing nothing but personal items). His backpack was nowhere to be found after his murder. It was quite possibly on the side of the road along with the shell casing and other items Gonzalez and Afano took out of the Jeep when they cleaned the interior.
Why did Gonzalez and Afano leave Killeen for Florence stopping on the side of the road to clean out the inside of the Jeep IF the shooter was outside of the Jeep and why would they do a factory reset on their phones if they had no part in the murder of Edward? And why run away “if” they did nothing wrong?
Another unanswered question is what happened to the 2 unknown men they claimed were in the backseat of the Jeep?
The “EP” person is actually Patrick Allen, this is who Gonzalez and Afano accused of shooting Edward. Allen was questioned and released.
During her trial Gonzalez, under oath and on the stand claimed that she did not know who Edward was, Daphne Phillips knew who Gonzalez was, Edward had introduced them. Daphne even knew what Gonzalez drove and even knew where she lived! Gonzalez also did not mention in court a third person (EP) that she claimed was in the car when questioned by KPD. Oddly forensics proved that the bullet that struck Edward killing him came from the driver’s front seat. Was the Assistant District Attorney asleep when all of that happened and Gonzalez perjured herself in court?
The murder of Edward was senseless, he was murdered for his backpack that contained a tooth brush, a change of clothes and toiletries. The unbelievable charges for tampering with evidence, is clearly a miscarriage of justice!
Now Daphne has been told Edward’s case is cold.
We all pray that the person who murdered Edward will come forward and tell the truth.
Please give this grieving mother some peace that the person who murdered her son will be held accountable.
Murder is a heavy burden for anyone to carry, knowing the person who murdered another is also a heavy burden.
Please step forward and do the right thing.