Baytown Man Receives 46 Year Sentence for the Murder of Ex-Wife

A Baytown man, Allen Dale Edwards, has been sentenced to 46 years in prison by a Harris County jury for the murder of his ex-wife, Keyanna Cherrell Gardiner, in 2016, according to an announcement by District Attorney Kim Ogg.

Edwards, 44, was convicted of murder after a seven-day trial. The victim, Keyanna Cherrell Gardiner, a 29-year-old mother of two, was fatally shot on March 19, 2016. The couple had been divorced and living apart for over three years, and their relationship was marked by acrimony, including disputes over child custody.

On the night of the incident, Gardiner was traveling in a car with a female friend at approximately 3 a.m., with Gardiner asleep in the passenger seat. They arrived at Edwards’s home, where the friend allegedly attempted to break a window using an aerosol can.

Hearing the window break, Edwards instructed his mother to call the police. Instead of waiting for law enforcement, he armed himself with a handgun and pursued the women in a white SUV.

The two vehicles were on Highway 146, heading towards the Fred Hartman Bridge, when Edwards fired shots at the SUV through the tinted window of his own vehicle. This resulted in a bullet hole in the window.

Upon reaching the southbound flyover, Edwards maneuvered his car in front of the white SUV, causing it to collide with the rear of his vehicle. Edwards exited his car and fired at the SUV once more, with one of the bullets striking Gardiner in the chest, resulting in her death. He also physically assaulted the woman driving the car. She was subsequently taken to the hospital and required reconstructive surgery.

A Harris County Precinct 8 Constable’s Office deputy in the vicinity detained Edwards, and the Baytown Police Department conducted the investigation and filed charges.

Assistant District Attorneys Ashlea Sheridan and Adam Brodrick, who are chiefs in the DA’s trial bureau, prosecuted the case.

Edwards will be required to serve at least half of his 46-year prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole.