KINGSTON, Mo. — A 28-year-old Kansas City man pleaded guilty in connection to a May 2022 murder in Caldwell County, Missouri.

Harold Edwards Jr. on Tuesday pled guilty to second-degree murder along with three counts of possession of child pornography in Caldwell County Circuit Court.

Court documents show Edwards Jr. set fire to a house in Polo, Missouri, killing 96-year-old Lorene Fickess.

Fire crews responded to three house fires along SW State Route D on May 10, 2022 and believe all three were intentionally set. The deadly arson was the first of three he was originally charged with setting. The other two homes were vacant.

Investigators arrested Edwards in June of 2022. Court documents show investigators proved Edwards was in the area during the fires using information from his cell phone.

Police say that surveillance images captured by cameras at a school show a black SUV they were able to track back to Edwards.

A formal sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.